UNAIR NEWS (UNAIR) has come under the spotlight following its placement in the red zone of the latest Research Integrity Risk Index report. This classification signals concerns over the integrity of the university檚 research and scientific publications, as assessed in the international rating.
UNAIR structured response
Prof. Hery Purnobasuki, M.Si., Ph.D., Chair of the Institute for Innovation, Journal Development, Publishing, and Intellectual Property Rights (LPJPHKI) at UNAIR, stated that the university has implemented a range of strategic initiatives to promote an ethical and high-quality publication culture. These efforts include the introduction of a standardized ethics protocol for publications, supported by ongoing education and mentoring for faculty and researchers. UNAIR also organizes regular workshops and has developed handbooks on publication ethics to serve as reference materials for its academic community.
Meanwhile, the weekly “UNAIR Menulis” (UNAIR Writing) program has become a vital platform for nurturing researchers to target reputable journals and steer clear of predatory outlets. These initiatives are further supported by the e-IPKI Team, which provides early interventions for potentially problematic publications.
淭o reduce reliance on foreign journals, UNAIR has also established and manages 20 Scopus-indexed journals spanning quartiles Q1 through Q4, Prof. Purnobasuki explained.
Rising publication quality
Since 2017, UNAIR has undergone a substantial shift in its scientific publication strategy攆rom a focus on quantity to prioritizing quality. By 2025, more than 45% of UNAIR檚 publications appeared in top-tier journals (Q1換2), while 72% were published in top-75% journals (Q1換3). Notably, 23.9% of these were in Q1 journals, showing steady year-on-year growth.
淲e檙e not just productive攚e檙e making an impact. To date, over 22,751 UNAIR papers are indexed in Scopus, Prof. Purnobasuki said.
In light of the Research Integrity Risk Index findings, Prof. Purnobasuki noted that such external evaluations should be balanced with internal data and a recognition of the university檚 ongoing reforms.
淲e acknowledge the data exists, but the figures cited are significantly exaggerated and do not match our internal records. While the report mentions 5,000 problematic articles, we have only identified around 2,000, he clarified.
淏ack then, we were still learning. Many students needed publications to graduate, and faculty members were striving to meet performance metrics. At the time, some journals seemed credible but were later discontinued by Scopus, he added.
Author: Rosali Elvira Nurdiansyarani
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
