News

Written by: Mie Mohamed Reda

Photography: Ahmed Magdy

In a step reflecting Theodor Bilharz Research Institute’s commitment to supporting researchers and advancing its scientific publishing system, the Institute organized a specialized workshop entitled “Standards and Mechanisms of International Scientific Publishing,” in collaboration with the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB). The workshop was held under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdel Aziz, Acting Director of the Institute and Chairman of its Board of Directors, with the participation of a distinguished group of experts in scientific publishing.

The workshop was organized as part of the Institute’s ongoing efforts to promote a culture of scientific publishing in accordance with international standards and to raise researchers’ awareness of the latest requirements and mechanisms governing academic publishing. These efforts aim to enhance the quality of scientific research, increase opportunities for publication in international journals, and strengthen the global visibility of the Institute’s research output.

The workshop featured Mrs Ola Lawrence, Scientific Publishing Consultant at the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, and Mr. Mohamed Salah, Director of the Scientific Journals Platform at the EKB. It was coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Safia Samir, Director of the Institute Director’s Office for External Relations and a member of the Institute’s journal editorial board. The speakers delivered a specialized presentation on the international scientific publishing system and the services available to scientific journals, including a practical explanation of the criteria governing journal evaluation and indexing in leading international databases.

The workshop covered a comprehensive range of topics related to international scientific publishing. These included the services provided by the Egyptian Knowledge Bank to scientific journals and its role in supporting and developing academic publishing, as well as an overview of the key international standards adopted by major scientific publishing and indexing databases, particularly the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Scopus, and Web of Science. The discussion highlighted the criteria and requirements each database applies to improve journal quality and enhance the prospects of international indexing.

An important practical component of the workshop involved evaluating the Journal of Theodor Bilharz Research Institute for Medical Sciences against international publishing and indexing standards. The assessment examined the journal’s current status in comparison with international scholarly journals. The evaluation indicated that, despite being relatively new, the Institute’s journal has established a good and stable position. To date, three issues containing 25 research papers have been published. This progress reflects positive steps toward improving the journal’s scientific and editorial standards and places it in a promising position for future development, provided that it continues to meet the relevant international requirements and standards necessary for consideration for inclusion in international indexing databases.

For his part, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdel Aziz emphasized that international scientific publishing is among the Institute’s top priorities, as it represents a fundamental pillar for enhancing research quality and consolidating the Institute’s scientific presence at both regional and international levels. He noted that the workshop aims to familiarize researchers with the latest international standards and the mechanisms used to evaluate scientific journals, while drawing on the specialized expertise and services offered by the Egyptian Knowledge Bank in this field.