Harsh irregularities have been uncovered in Karachi University’s Journal of History and Social Science (JHSS), with older issues containing citations of works that had not been published at the time.
According to a few faculty members, this was done by those involved in a bid to get promotions.
The publication of JHSS was halted in 2013; however, it published 13 editions in 2019.
Surprisingly, the back-dated research papers not only cited articles that were written after their publication, but also included plagiarised tables, maps, and statistics produced by other academicians.
Former KU vice-chancellor Dr Muhammad Qaiser said such research journals, in which back-dated papers are published, damage the varsity’s reputation and termed it a very unethical thing to do.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Commission Director Research and Publications Dr Tahir Shah said it is illegal to promote teachers based on research journals not approved by the HEC.”Legal action can be initiated against those involved [in the crime],” he said.
