RESEARCH POLICY

Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

1. Preamble

Academia in every field is ever evolving with novel ideas and fresh insights because of sustained research. The Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women strives to promote a research culture that will help to kindle young inquisitive minds, with the establishment of the Multi-Disciplinary Research and Consultancy Centre (MRCC) in 2015.

2. Multi-Disciplinary Research and Consultancy Centre (MRCC)

The Objectives of the MRCC is to:

2.1 Encourage staff and students to actively pursue research in new areas of knowledge.

2.2. Frame quality initiatives to enhance the research culture.

2.3. Enable the faculty to take up socially relevant projects and apply to the funding agencies.

2.4. Create meaningful collaborations at the National and International levels.

2.5. Encourage staff and students to publish research papers in refereed journals with impact factor

2.6. Disseminate information regarding procedures to apply for various grants, funding agencies and guideship.

2.7. Create and maintain a Research Directory.

2.8. Periodically Conduct Research oriented programmes.

2.9. Identify Consultancy avenues in different fields.

2.10 Ensure that the Code of Ethics in Research is adhered to.

The MRCC constitutes Internal and External Experts from different fields to offer valuable guidance.

3. Academic Research

3.1. The rules and regulations as mandated by the University of Madras is followed to select candidates for M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes.

3.2. Selection is based on an Entrance examination as per the norms of the University of Madras.

3.3. Research scholars are given the autonomy to choose the subject and methodology of research. The results and findings are subject to discussion/ analysis/ critical examination to encourage openness and ethics in research.

3.4. Research protocols pertaining to research on biological specimens (plants, animals and human beings) are adhered to.

3.5. Research scholars of the respective programmes submit a report of progress once in six months to the Supervisor. It is mandatory that research scholars admitted to full-time programmes report to college on all working days during the course of study.

3.6. Research scholars while submitting Synopsis/Thesis/Dissertation must ensure submission of plagiarism report from the concerned authority along with the report to the department.

3.7. Research scholars admitted into M.Phil/Ph.D. Programmes must publish research papers in Scopus/Web of Science journals, in journals from the UGC journal list or other reputed referred journals after due consultation and authorization of the Supervisor.

3.8. Faculty must take all efforts to become research supervisors on completion of Doctoral degree by following the norms of the University of Madras.

4. Authorship and Plagiarism

4.1. The cardinal principle of Research: Academic integrity must be followed by research scholars. The College promotes research of the highest quality to ensure original and plagiarism-free content by the research scholars.

4.2. The College instructs teachers and students to abide by the highest standards of integrity in the conduct of academic research and publications and to conform the following:

    a) Research scholars must obtain permission/ acknowledge the source of information according to the conventions and regulations.

    b) Research scholars must submit an undertaking at the time of submission of thesis/ dissertation/ project/ research paper that the work done by the candidate is original.

    c) Research supervisors are to ensure that thesis/synopsis/dissertation/project is submitted with a plagiarism-free content report at the time of submission. The MRCC has free software for plagiarism which the research scholars can access.

4.3. Research Supervisors, as educators, must give credit to research scholars for publications to encourage and recognise the work done by them.

5. Seed Capital Assistance Scheme

5.1. Seed Capital Assistance Scheme is instituted by the college for all faculty members to pursue research. Interested faculty members can apply to the MRCC in the month of June every year when the call for the proposal is made.

5.2. The amount sanctioned towards Seed Capital Assistance depends upon the area and need of the project.

5.3. Faculty are free to choose the subject to pursue research and to apply for Seed Capital Assistance. Social relevance of the project is verified before sanction.

5.4. An expert panel is formed to scrutinize the proposal submitted to the College for the award of projects.

5.5. The maximum duration for the project is one year from the date of approval.

5.6. Atleast two (2) research papers must be published in UGC/Referred journals on completion of the project.

5.7. The findings of these projects serve as baseline data for applying to external funding agencies like UGC, DBT, DST, ICMR, ICSSR, TNSCST.

6. Sponsored Research from funding agencies

6.1. Faculty may apply for support from the Government and other sources for Sponsored research based on the call for proposals made by these agencies from time to time.

6.2. The Principal Investigator is free to choose the subject for research to apply for Seed Capital Assistance. Social relevance of the project will be verified before sanction.

6.3. A Project Review Committee shall be constituted comprising the Principal Investigator (PI), Subject Expert and the HoD.

6.4. The Committee must review the proposal and forward it to the Principal for approval

6.5. The MRCC will guide the Principal Investigator to submit the application along with the supporting documents to the Online portal of the funding agency.

6.6. The PIs must maintain proper accounts of the funds received and prepare a Stock Register with proper entries of purchase of recurring and non-recurring items.

6.7. The PIs shall appoint a Project fellow (if applicable under project rules) through advertisement and selection will be done by conducting an interview based on the budget approval of the funding agency, as per the rules of the funding agency.

6.8. Progress Review Meetings will be conducted once in six months and the PI is expected to submit a report with details of progress to the Project Review Committee for projects funded by the College

6.9. The PIs must prepare Project Completion Report on completion of the project duration according to the guidelines of the funding agency.

6.10. The PIs must submit the Project Completion Report, Utilization Certificate and Publications / Patent list to the Sponsoring agency through Proper channel.

7. Encouraging Student Research

7.1. The Research grants instituted by the Management is available to bright and meritorious Second Year Undergraduate students and First Year Postgraduate students.

7.2. Projects in Science, Arts and Commerce are selected by an expert panel for the grants from Forenoon and Afternoon Sessions every year.

7.3. Projects requiring the use of scientific equipment and laboratory facilities are expected to make use of the MRCC lab and their department labs. Certain projects may also be permitted to be carried outside the institution, and in certain cases through conduct of surveys.

7.4. The project sanctioned must be executed within a period of six months starting from September to February.

7.5. Students must spend a minimum of six hours per week on the sanctioned project

7.6. The project must be done under the guideship of a faculty member of the respective department.

7.7. A maximum of two students can form a team.

7.8. A report must be prepared and the findings must be discussed in a forum consisting of staff and peer researchers

7.9. Selected Undergraduate and Postgraduate projects will be given grants depending upon the topic chosen and the justification for the same.

7.10. Statement of Utilization of Funds must be submitted at the time of project completion.

7.11. This project work entitles a student for 2 extra credits. Certificates will be awarded to students on successful completion of the project.

8. Central Instrumentation Centre (CIC) and E-Learning Centre

8.1. Research scholars and faculty from the department are permitted to use the facilities of the CIC free of cost.

8.2. Research scholars and faculty from other colleges are permitted to use the facilities of the CIC by paying nominal charges as applicable

8.3. A requisition form must be filled in with details of samples submitted.

8.4. The research instrumentation technician will only handle the equipment but the researcher is expected to be present when the analysis is carried out at the CIC.

8.5. The E-learning Centre is to be utilized for research purposes only.

9. Guidelines for Paper Publication and Award of Incentives

9.1. To improve the quality of publication, the following guidelines are formulated. These guidelines will form the basis for the award of incentives to staff members. The fourth revised policy guidelines applicable from 2018-2019 are:

1. The paper must contain original research contribution to the field of study. Plagiarism will be viewed seriously.

2. A Core Committee will be formed to review the papers that are submitted.

3. The papers submitted for incentives should be indexed. Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Social Science Research Network (SSRN) and Indian Citation Index are some of the indexing agencies. The list is not exhaustive and the Core Committee’s recommendation of other reputed indexing agencies will also be considered. Proof of indexing should be submitted for award of incentives.

4. The paper should have an impact factor or h-index.

5. Papers published in UGC listed journals will only be taken into consideration.

6. The faculty members are requested to download proof that the Journal was listed on the UGC list on the date when the paper was accepted for publication.

7. Papers published in Scopus and Web of Science will be awarded the highest incentive immaterial of the impact factor.