HEC holds workshop for Social Science Journals
Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—Editors of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) organized a workshop for the Recognised Social Science Journals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi region here Thursday.
Editors of 14 Social Sciences Journals shared various problemsrelated to research journals and highlighted the problems of peer review of research articles from academically and industriallyadvanced countries and the lack of dedicated human resource for research journals.
The editors also mentioned that there is a requirement ofgreater financial support by HEC to publish quality journals.
Prof Dr S Sohail H. Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC in hisopening remarks emphasized the need to improve quality of research journals by adopting international standards in their respectivefields.
He said that HEC is committed to provide financial, technicaland moral support to Social Science journals to bring them at par with international journals. He welcomed positive criticisms to improve the quality andsuggestions to resolve problems.
The editors were told that an amount of Rs. 18 million was released last year to HEC recognized Science and Social Science Journals.
He further added that applications are invited for financialsupport for current year 2007-08 and an amount of Rs. 35 million have been allocated for this purpose.
Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Chairman, Committee for Development ofSocial Science and Humanities in Pakistan, said that only editors could improve the quality of research journals by providing theirexpertise.
He acknowledged that editing is a time consuming process, buteditors must be committed to their work.
He invited the editors to share their ideas for improvement in the shape of a comprehensive proposal with the Committee.
Prof. Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Rector, Lahore School ofEconomics, the resource person discussed the solutions of the problems highlighted by the editors.