Dr. Al-Tannak: We Received 6238 Research Papers and Books in Various Scientific Disciplines in the Academic Year 2023/2024

Dr. Nasser Faisal Al-Tannak, Acting Vice President for Research and Chairman of the Academic Publication Council, stated that based on the council's objective pf publishing distinguished scientific research and books, strengthening scientific and intellectual ties between Kuwait University and other Universities and research institutions, and connecting the university to society by presenting the challenges and obstacles it faces through research and study, and finding appropriate solutions, the Academic Publication Council has carries out many scientific activities, according to a plan which it has developed with specific objectives, a specific mechanism, and a timetable.
Dr. Al-Tannak also explained, "In order to spread the distinguished scientific culture to serve academic circles, decision making circles, and all readers and interested parties, The Scientific Journals and The Authorship, Arabization and Publication Committee received (6238) research papers and books, an increase of (1478) research papers over the previous year, in various scientific specializations, and from various countries." He explained that this number of research papers comes to confirm the confidence of researchers in the demand for publishing in the scientific journals published by Kuwait University, considering the multiplicity of peer-reviewed scientific publishing channels, and their increase, which confirms their position among their peers, and their meeting of the growing academic needs.
Dr. Al-Tannak – Chairman of the Academic Publication Council- pointed out the high percentage of rejected research papers, which reached 83.2%, and thus the journals maintained their scientific integrity, which comes through filtering the incoming research papers and choosing from them according to the applicable publishing rules. Regarding the extent of researchers' interest from outside Kuwait to publish in scientific journals compared to those from inside Kuwait, Dr. Al-Tannak explained that there has been an increase in interest from outside of Kuwait to publish in scientific journals, indicating that the research from outside Kuwait amounted to (5879) researchers at a rate of 94.2%, while researchers from inside of Kuwait has amounted to (359) at a rate of 5.8%. This reflects the status of these scientific journals abroad as a channel for specialized scientific publishing. This reflects Kuwait University's bright image, indicating a genuine practice of Kuwait's cultural and pioneering role in the scientific arena. 
The following figure shows the groups of researchers' countries.
  
 

Dr. Al-Tannak further explained: "With the aim of supporting the Arab and international library, and enriching it with authentic and distinguished works of research, studies and publications, and with the aim of providing and proving its means, the Academic Publication Council issue during the period from September 1st 2023, to August 31th 2024, a number of scientific journals and theses were published, amounting to (84) publications and books authored by Authorship, Arabization and Publishing Committee, amounting to a total of (29705) copies". Dr. Al-Tannak explained that these publications, produced according to the highest standards, create an intellectual environment that contributes to building an academic vision addressing various subjects.   
In the context of verifying the quality of research before its publication and its compliance with academic standards, and to establish additional forms of cooperation, scientific communication, and exchange of expertise, Dr. Al-Tannak said "the scientific journals and the Committee for Authorship, Arabization and Publication have sought the assistance of (2265) academic referees from various specializations, countries and universities to referee the research and books received."
 In the same context, he added that due to the diversity of scientific specializations of the research submitted to scientific journals and the increase in their numbers, 94.1% of referees who have lent their expertise were from outside of Kuwait, and the following figure shows the groups of countries of the referees.

Regarding whether the Academic Publication Council’s publications have a wide resonance and spread, Dr. Al-Tannak con

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firmed the increasing interest in the Council’s publications, and the increasing degree of demand, which confirms the reader’s confidence those publications, as they include topics that address issues and problems which are tackled through in-depth research and serious study within an academic framework.
Dr. Al-Tannak further explained “In the context of seeking to increase awareness of the scientific journals issued by the Academic Publication Council, and with the aim of making them available in digital form to a wide segment of researchers and academics around the world, all scientific journal research papers from the first issue to the last have been uploaded to the journals’ websites, the global “EBSCO” database, Dar Al-Manzomah, and Dar Maarifa Al-Raqmiyyah. This is a step that opened the doors to include scientific studies published in Kuwait University journals on digital information bases; it has become a huge reference source which provides an electronic link, allowing access to research and studies to benefit professors, researchers, and experts, to achieve the Open Access policy adopted by the journals. This has resulted in downloading more than a quarter of a million research papers in 2023/2024.”
within this context, Dr. Al-Tannak pointed out that this number exceeded expectations, and it is without a doubt a clear indicator of the status of these journals in terms of increasing interest and the increasing degree of demand, which confirms the reader’s confidence in them, and the Council’s keenness to highlight the role of the university and its contribution to supporting the scientific arena with authentic research and in-depth studies, drawing a clear picture of the status of scientific publishing at Kuwait University, a status that has gained respect and appreciation, making it a great source of pride and honor.
In the same direction, the Academic Publication Council seeks to meet the requirements of the membership conditions to include international scientific databases such as Scopus and DOAJ, to constitute a high-level contribution from these scientific journals and raise the level of Kuwait University's classification, noting that most of the journals issued by the Council have begun to meet the requirements for joining this database.
Dr. Al-Tannak pointed out that citations of the Academic Publications Council journals in the Scopus database are evidence of the actual benefit of this research, reflecting their impact on the academic community. They are also an indicator of the quality of the research and its high level of reaching scientific standards as the number of citations of the Academic Publications Council journals in 2024 reached (782) citations in the Scopus database. There is no doubt that this number has a positive connotation, which reflects the extent of the impact of the journals on researchers and hoe beneficial they are, and clear evidence that they include high-quality global research, revealing the diversity of research and their topics. Without a doubt, these indicators are used as a catalyst for development and advancement, and that the Academic Publications Council is proceeding in this direction by building an integrated system for follow-up and measurement that contains accurate measurement indicators which contribute to identifying gaps compared to the desired targets and results.
He added, "All the Academic Publication Council's journals published in Arabic are registered in the Arabic Digital Database (Ma'rifa), and have obtained the accreditation standards for their Arab Citation and Impact Factor (ARCIF) which are compatible with international standards. The following figure shows their development over the past years."

In addition, all the Academic Publication Council journals published in Arabic are also registered in the Arab Citation & Impact Factor of the Association of Arab Universities, which is compatible with international standards. The following figure shows the degree of improvement in the status of the journals.

In implementation of the university book project, Dr. Al-Tannak said: “As part of the university book series whose mission was assigned to the Academic Publication Council, the Authorship, Arabization and Publication Committee issued four books this year,” stressing that this major project aims to provide university textbooks for all courses in which the language of instruction is Arabic, and these books feature high scientific standards and specifications that are comparable to those books prescribed for similar courses in prestigious universities.
In the field of selling publications, which is one of the alternative channels to support the Academic Publication Council's budget, Dr. Nasser Al-Tannak expressed his great satisfaction with the large numbers achieved by the Council in marketing its publications, which were represented in marketing (7659) copies, adding that the Council's efforts to attract subscribers are ongoing, as the annual subscription is one of the marketing channels for scientific journals, and an indicator of the presence and influence of the journal among readers. It also represents a financial revenue channel, indicating that the number of subscribers this year reached (539) subscribers, an increase of (163) new subscribers who were attracted by the Council's efforts to introduce its publications by various means and methods, including communicating with universities, distributing brochures, and participating in book fairs. He added that the presence of the Council's publications among its permanent readers in groups of countries demonstrates the extent of the influence of magazines outside Kuwait than inside, as the percentage of subscribers outside Kuwait reached 45%.
Regarding Kuwait University’s follow-up of global developments towards the era of electronic environment spread in all countries around the world, including Kuwait, and the adoption of global information, communication and technology systems, Dr. Al-Tannak said: “The Academic Publication Council has published all summaries of research published in scientific journals since their establishment until now on the Internet within their websites, and at the same time, scientific journals have issued the electronic version of all their issues for the academic year 2023/2024, in addition to issuing the electronic version (CD) of the analytical index of all research and books of scientific journals and the Authorship, Arabization and Publication Committee since its establishment.”
In the field of expanding the base of awareness of the Council’s publications, Dr. Nasser Al-Tannak said: “Collections of the university’s publications have been donated to research centers, cultural institutions and scientific bodies, in order to strengthen relations with these entities, introduce them to the scientific production of Kuwait University and make these publications references in the libraries of these entities to enrich them, which provides researchers and students who frequent the libraries of these centers with the opportunity to view and benefit from Kuwait University’s publications.”
In conclusion, Dr. Al-Tannak commended the efforts of the heads and members of the editorial boards in achieving these accomplishments, noting the importance of the scientific projects through which the Council aspires to develop and advance the work, which are being implemented, including: continuing to implement the electronic archive project for all publications of the Academic Publication Council, which is a project that includes scanning all research in scientific journals and books of the Authorship, Arabization and Publication Committee since their establishment until now electronically, in addition to redesigning, updating and developing the electronic environment for work in the Academic Publication Council, continuing to join more global scientific databases, abstract guides and scientific indexes, holding a group of scientific seminars and discussion groups through which the most important problems facing the country are highlighted, and finding appropriate solutions for them, expanding the issuance of university books by authorship and translation, signing memoranda of understanding and scientific cooperation protocols between the Academic Publication Council and the scientific publishing councils in Arab universities, completing the requirements for joining the "Scopus" database, membership in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and resuming participation in international book fairs due to their importance.