Tendencies of Active Researchers and Evaluation of Peer Reviewers: An Analysis of Research Projects Submitted to Funding Agency in Pakistan
Keywords:
Peer Review, Technology Management, Research Demograhics, Research Disciplines, Research Funding, Research ManagementAbstract
This study analyzed the tendency of researchers towards certain scientific fields, their demographics, institutes’ associations, gender participation and the evaluation reports of peer reviewers. Total 1787 research proposals submitted to the funding agency in Pakistan were categorized into 13 major fields of research. The study revealed that researchers have more tendency of submitting research proposals towards Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology related disciplines, medium tendency towards Engineering, Physics, Chemistry & IT and were least interested towards Energy, Livestock, Earth Sciences, climate change, Water & Soil and almost none towards STEM, Emerging Areas and Space Sciences. Very few organizations bothered to attempt any research grant. The need is recommended to align research towards national priorities which are import substitution and the export of indigenous output. Female scientists are also not contributing in AJK and Gilgit, moderately contributing in KPK and Balochistan, and at average participation in Punjab, federal capital and Sindh as compared to international ratio. 622 research proposals out of 1787 were shortlisted. Each project proposal was peer reviewed by two subject experts with final score A, B & C. There is significant association found between independent reports of the different peer reviewers for the same project and that the Peer Review is totally independent to the specific field of study.
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