Remnants of Yesterday

Appendix · 19 min read

Appendix: The Quartet of Productivity and Integrity

Outside the Academic Box: The Quartet of Productivity and Integrity

I have always believed that academic writing and scientific research are not merely tools for obtaining degrees or climbing the career ladder, but acts of resistance and change in a society struggling for advancement. This lecture, which I delivered by invitation from the University of Technology in Baghdad in May 2022, represents an exceptional station in my professional career. It was not a presentation of dry research results but a "motivational lecture" born from the heart to address the minds of researchers and professors at a pivotal moment.

I chose to record this text specifically in my memoirs among hundreds of educational lectures I have delivered over more than two decades for three essential reasons: First, because it embodies my vision of connecting 'productivity' and 'integrity'—a connection I consider the only lifeline for higher education in Iraq. Second, because it included frank confession about the gap between student aspirations and teacher reality, and about the illusion of 'global rankings' that have sometimes become a commerce that strips science of its essence. Finally, because in this lecture I spoke not merely as an academic but as a loving, jealous observer trying to awaken the scientific 'fighting spirit' in the younger generation, urging them to be 'winners' rather than 'losers' in the field of searching for truth. It is a document reflecting my belief that an honest environment is the true factory of scientists, and that little knowledge, if accompanied by passion and honesty, is better than a flood of spiritless, disreputable research papers.

Behind the Scenes of the Moment

I remember well that day in May 2022. I was sitting in front of the Zoom screen, physically distanced from Baghdad and the corridors of the University of Technology, but my spirit was strongly present there. I felt then a responsibility beyond transferring technical knowledge. I saw in the names of attendees on screen hopeful young minds, and others exhausted by monotonous reality.

A strange mix of anxiety and drive overtook me—anxiety that my frankness might be understood as harshness, and drive stemming from my certainty that flattery in the presence of science is betrayal. The words I delivered were not merely written text but heartbeats trying to break the coldness of screens, transforming Zoom from a cold communication tool into a platform for a small intellectual revolution. I spoke as if in a race against time, wanting to give them the 'compass' of integrity before they were swallowed by the vortex of quantitative fake production. That hour was not a lecture but a covenant I made with myself to speak the truth as I see it, however unconventional.

Honored Professors, Dear Students,

It is an honor for me to speak to you in a lecture that may seem unconventional at this distinguished university—the University of Technology, which I take pride in being the first to propose and work with on its administrative and academic autonomy project. Allow me to congratulate the University of Technology on its great scientific interests and correct academic orientation, and thank it for giving me the opportunity to share some thoughts and advice with graduate students and researchers—a topic close to my heart that I always enjoy discussing and writing about.

Today, at the university's invitation, allow me to share with you some ideas on how to improve the productivity of faculty, researchers, and students in study, research, and publication. I assume you are all here today wanting to develop these areas, so please permit me to speak about study, research, and publication together, as they go hand in hand and closely intertwine.

Lecture Objectives

Why Discuss Productivity in the Academic World?

This lecture covers many issues all related to productivity and quality. Scientists have found that productivity increases economic growth—a truth proven in all societies. Iraqi universities currently face challenges of advancement and excellence, striving to overcome the crisis imposed by complex political realities, and addressing societal issues such as desertification, water scarcity, electricity, weak health services, high unemployment rates, income inequality, and other economic and social problems.

As academics in this country, you face the challenge of using your research skills to find real solutions to these problems and educate society. The question to you is: Who among you is actually interested in educating society and finding solutions to its problems through their research? And who among you prefers to follow this path rather than conducting traditional research based on "recycling" previous global research, or solving a scientific and engineering problem already solved or without real-world application?

This is a question that the researcher and the university must answer honestly: Is the goal of research merely completing degree or promotion requirements? Or is the goal solving a real problem through which scientific excellence is achieved in local and global spaces?

Productivity and Quality: Concepts and Interconnections

At the beginning of my talk, allow me to define the terms 'productivity' and 'quality':

  1. Productivity: Defined as the effectiveness of productive effort measured by the rate of production per unit of input. In the academic context, it refers to the quantity of research and publication produced by the researcher or university.
  2. Quality: Defined as the standard of excellence in something compared to its peers, referred to as the degree of mastery, embodied in "product quality improvement" and "quality assurance" processes.

I use the terms productivity and quality together, despite my conviction that in academic work—and given limited funding, stagnation in some researchers' scientific levels, and weak library and laboratory resources—pursuing quantitative 'productivity' alone may harm 'quality' and open the door to dishonest practices.

Under limited resources, increased quantitative productivity often leads to reduced quality.

Scientific Research Outputs and the Philosophy of Measuring Productivity

When discussing measuring scientific research outputs, we are dealing with an integrated system not limited to publication alone. Productivity is embodied in scientific publication in various forms—from peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed research papers to authoring books, chapters, and general articles. It also appears in the ability to attract research funding and grants, in the quality of academic supervision and guiding student researchers. It extends to the researcher's role as evaluator and editor, through peer review, examining doctoral theses, and membership in editorial boards, to scientific participation as an invited speaker at international forums, and contribution to national committees, culminating in innovations registered as patents.

The list goes on, but I want to issue a fundamental warning: The design of productivity indicators must not be subject to a "one-size-fits-all" principle. Performance evaluation differs radically by specialization and publication type. Here lies our real problem in Iraq, where the ministry imposes a uniform measure on our universities, prompting a legitimate and painful question: Does Iraq truly have independent universities, or are we facing scattered branches of one major university called the "Ministry of Higher Education"?

The Path to the Summit: Between the Glitter of Position and the Essence of Scientific Excellence

Your deep awareness of the quality of scientific output is your key to taking your natural place among creators and leaders, where you will gradually move from the role of "executor and imitator"—currently filling the scene—to the role of "innovator and leader" influential in the path of science. You must realize well that this excellence is not contingent on your administrative position—administrative positions are not evidence of scientific excellence. Today, you must choose your path to the summit clearly: either you take the "path of position," sometimes paved by party relations, favoritism, and nepotism, or you choose the rugged and noble "path of scientific leadership"—which you will only reach through the gate of solid qualitative output and absolute academic integrity.

The more concern for functional prestige in the academic space, the more science and education decline.

The Reality of Resources and the Education Crisis

I fully understand that as an academic official in a government university struggling to do more with less resources, but we must understand that at some point, "you cannot do much with little." Rather, you must "do the little excellently with what little is available." Attempting quantitative expansion with scarce resources effectively leads to further deterioration of educational standards. We must acknowledge a genuine crisis in higher education and scientific research in Iraq rather than trying to "throw dust in the eyes."

Insisting on doing "more" with "less" resources is a recipe for destroying education quality.

The English Language Obstacle and Research Challenges

Research is arduous and sometimes frustrating, especially for beginning researchers. Publishing is not easy; we complain of time constraints, lack of funding, and rejection of proposals or papers by editors. We sometimes wonder: Do reviewers realize that English is not our mother tongue and that our cultural contexts differ?

The truth is that there is no better way to improve scientific research than improving English. It is the language of science, communication, and presentation at international conferences. Mastering it gives you scientific confidence and attractiveness beyond local boundaries.

I don't have immediate magical solutions, but I believe perseverance bears fruit. "Where there's a will, there's a way." Knowledge is the weapon that defeats fear and makes a person invincible. Senior professors in Iraq have achieved peak excellence despite all challenges, and we can use those same difficult conditions as a launching pad for greater things.

Acquired Skills: Your Right to Demand

To be qualified to perform your research, teaching, and leadership duties in your future academic career, you must realize there are essential skills that serve as "research tools" accompanying you throughout your professional journey. While Western universities leave these skills to be acquired spontaneously during study and work, our reality requires placing them in a systematic educational framework.

These tools begin with time management skills, the technical ability to read and review research papers with a critical eye, to mastering Technical Writing that gives your research the required rigor. They also include the ability to generate creative ideas and identify problem roots, proficiency in information and digital resource management, not to mention the necessity of arming yourself with Presentation Skills enabling you to present your ideas powerfully, and the skill of formulating proposals, projects, and official correspondence that open doors to funding and scientific collaboration.

Here a frank word is necessary: If the university does not provide you with the necessary and sufficient training on these skills, it is undoubtedly failing in its duty toward you. These skills are not superfluous or academic "luxuries"—they are the core of your rights that you must demand forcefully. Demand these rights without hesitation. I am confident the university will respond when it finds researchers who appreciate the value of their scientific tools—the university ultimately exists only to serve your scientific journey and empower you with tools of excellence.

It is impossible to know all the answers. If you face a problem and can't find a new solution, accept published solutions and present them honestly. Raise your expectations—researchers and students always rise to the standards set by their supervisors, provided a "honest environment" exists.

Give me an honest environment, and I will produce scientists and experts.

Academic Mission and Purpose

Allow me now to move to the core of my talk. As I mentioned earlier, my first objective is to motivate you as individuals and institutions to reexamine your research and publication productivity through the four driving elements: Mission, Motivation, Communication, and Execution. Before we proceed, we must ask: Does this university have a clear "mission" statement? Does the university have a specific mission for research and publication? More importantly, do you as a researcher have a personal mission aligned with the university's vision? The purpose of these questions is not to expose shortcomings but to help you appreciate the value of "mission"—without it, efforts are wasted and direction lost.

This university's mission, as presumed, is to increase productivity and continuous improvement of quality and excellence in all its activities, including scientific research. Despite the importance of an institutional mission statement, the real essence lies in having a "personal mission" for each professor and researcher determining their professional journey toward success. The absence of alignment between your personal mission and your university's mission will find you on a path with no passion or commitment. I cannot overemphasize that the primary mission under current circumstances must focus on research quality, integrity, and methodology—away from peripheral goals.

Focus on the three elements of research: quality, integrity, and method. Let your concern for processes precede your concern for results.

For this mission to become reality, you must face yourself with honest questions away from hollow rhetoric: What are the challenges you face and your university faces? Why are we here in the first place? What do you admire in your colleagues and what do they value in you? How can our research be the bridge to our goals and the image we want to project to the world? Answering these questions honestly will shape the true philosophy that distinguishes us from other universities.

The Gap Between Student Aspirations and Teaching Reality

I previously conducted a study to evaluate goals and policies in Iraqi universities, recording student and faculty opinions with complete transparency. I found that students yearn for modern teaching methods befitting the age, strengthening the connection between lessons and library and laboratory resources, with reduction of non-essential theoretical material. They reject the "information regurgitation" system imposed by the professor, preferring instead group research and report writing, noting bitterly that "study is boring" and curricula are outdated, not matching the job market—not to mention their urgent need to learn communication, leadership, and professional ethics skills.

In contrast, the 'negatives' expressed by faculty reveal another side of the crisis. They complain of excessive student complaints, chronic weakness in English, desire for easy success without effort or understanding, leading to level decline due to the "grades" system and overload. Professors also criticize ministry interference in educational details, and express concern about administrative corruption, favoritism, lack of financial independence, and weak laboratory facilities.

This stark contradiction between what the student feels and what the professor thinks reflects a deep gap. The ideal university is where student aspirations and faculty thoughts meet and their goals harmonize. Will that day come when the university becomes a place where everyone's will unites toward true excellence?

Motivation

This is the second element of productivity. Many successful men and women around the world—including in Iraq—have achieved their tasks and goals because they were motivated to do so. Naturally, humans need some form of intrinsic and extrinsic incentives, encouragement, or drive to perform better. Intrinsic motivation means the desire or drive within a person to meet a need or achieve a specific goal. In the academic context, it can be said that many scientists' primary motivation was a high-quality research culture at the university. These scientists believe that highly motivated faculty are more likely to be productive researchers who contribute to international recognition of their universities, attract research funding, and produce distinguished graduates. International recognition is not achieved by attaining positions in international rankings—they are a big trick... a crude commercial trick! I don't say ignore them but don't rely on them to improve productivity and develop research. Don't concern yourselves with the supposed role of global rankings in developing academic performance—they never had any role beyond placing universities in a sequence according to their criteria. It's a commercial process like Scopus and the chase for publication in Scopus-indexed journals without considering journal integrity or importance. I won't talk today about these commercial methods that have begun negatively affecting academic performance—there will be another more appropriate time for that.

Motivation is the most distinctive and specialized human trait. Therefore, it is up to the individual to determine the most effective way to stay motivated. Regarding research and publication, self-motivation is required, for example, when a paper or project proposal is rejected. We must get up after falling, dust ourselves off, and start again. One scientist compared motivation to showering—yesterday's shower is over and you need another today. In a survey among academics, scientists who showed great interest in their work were, as a result, more productive and higher quality researchers, while those with external motivation shifted their efforts toward financially more profitable matters. Therefore, to become productive publishers, you must motivate yourselves to overcome the immense challenges hindering your research initiatives.

Communication: The Vital Bridge and Integrity as a Landmark

We now move to the third and most important element of the productivity equation: Communication. Its role goes beyond mere information transfer to become the direct and effective link between motivation and execution. Communication is crucial because it is one of the fundamental factors affecting motivation—its absence or weakness leads inevitably to dissatisfaction and low productivity and quality levels. In the academic space, communication is vital because it facilitates the exchange of concepts, feelings, ideas, and interaction with others in the research and publication journey. To improve this process, we must avoid incorrect or incomplete communication that may lead to catastrophic consequences, instead striving for open and interactive communication building a solid bridge between our motivation and its application on the ground.

Communication within the academic institution—between the university president, dean, department head, and professors—must transcend the rigidity of "official books." Modern means such as email, WhatsApp, and direct meetings must become natural communication channels, ensuring the faculty member knows what happens within administrations with ease, without needing news through third parties. Developing professional relationships with colleagues and scientists inside and outside is essential for researcher development and protecting them from isolation anxiety—inexperienced researchers often suffer from anxiety due to inability to collaborate and support each other. In this context, social media is an excellent source for professional development and sharing ideas, but the most important remains investing in 'face-to-face' communication experience and genuine engagement in the learning community.

Here I give a valuable piece of advice: Don't talk much about your 'achievements'—let them speak for you if they are real and influential. Talk about what you are doing 'now,' not what you did in the past. Don't appear as someone seeking recognition or thanks; these will come to you inevitably if you deserve them, and may come from outside before inside.

Results Notebooks: Integrity Before Research

Regarding research mechanisms, I often encounter researchers who only write their research proceedings and results on computers or phones, avoiding detailed recording. These are incorrect methods that must be avoided. Research proceedings must be written in detail, and results recorded in a 'special notebook' immediately upon obtaining them. You need to prove you actually conducted the research—not only because it's a scientific research principle but because we live in an academic society where falsification has spread. Written and dated records cut the path to doubts about research integrity. Be honest and prove it, for integrity in our country today has become rare—more important than research itself, indeed the hallmark of quality scientific output.

No value in quantity of output if not honest. Academic ethics rules are the red line separating an excellent university from one resembling a factory producing rusty goods. Therefore, I suggest departments require students to submit 'results notebooks' as a condition for approving thesis submission. Our major problem lies in evaluation methods lacking the criterion of 'integrity and honesty'—why don't performance evaluation files include this criterion?

The university should issue a 'Code of Academic Ethics' placed on department walls and given attention beyond mere traditional slogans. The university's true message should be: integrity, honesty, transparency, truth-seeking, respect, trustworthiness, sincerity, accountability, independence, and neutrality. These values must appear in every research, study, and relationship—even in our daily conversations.

Execution: The Difference Between Winners and Losers

The fourth and decisive element is Execution. I note that proper execution does not come naturally but is affected by lack of passion, communication gaps, or self-discipline issues. To address these, we must focus on 'processes' and methods of obtaining results. Always ask: How were results obtained? Where are the laboratory notebooks? Let results speak for themselves in the end.

In execution, the difference between 'winners' and 'losers' is clear:

Fight or Flight: The Instinct of Scientific Publishing

Allow me to move to the individual side and what you can do to increase research and publication productivity. Expert "Soha Emferl" speaks about a brain function called the "amygdala," responsible for the 'fight or flight' instinct present even in reptiles. This instinct presents the organism with two quick choices when facing any threat: flee or confront. In our academic context, when faced with the choice of publishing or not, if you choose to publish, why not 'fight' fiercely for your research? Why surrender to challenges or negative reviewer comments?

You must learn to accept negative criticism positively, seeing it as a golden opportunity to improve your research paper's quality—rigorous peer review is the safety valve, without which the journal is more likely to be fake or unsound. Even if the paper is rejected, don't stop—resend it to another journal. Remember always that one paper published in a reputable journal is better than twenty in fake journals or 'commercial conferences' that universities now organize with external institutions to give themselves 'international' status simply by inviting two or three researchers from abroad. These local conferences, satisfied with name glitter, unfortunately contribute to scientific research decline and increased scientific theft and falsification.

Strategies for Increasing Productivity: From Co-Authorship to Societal Impact

Effective ways to increase scientific output include 'co-authorship,' building regional and international research networks, and attending quality workshops and seminars. To raise your research value, try untried approaches and fields with limited output, review recommendations in global journals to capture new research problems. Scientific departments can compile annual lists of topics addressing our reality's needs, with the necessity of using 'mixed methodology' to overcome small sample constraints.

Most important of all is organization—write your research goals and draw a timeline reminding you of publication deadlines and favorite journals. Academics can set ambitious goals: one paper annually for lecturers, two for associate professors, four for full professors—considering available financial resources. Here I ask: Why do we neglect general newspaper articles? Have you ever thought of presenting your research essence on social media platforms to disseminate benefit, rather than just posting a picture of the scientific paper with the caption "This is from God's grace"? And have you remembered to include special thanks in your research for all who supported you? These details create the scientific community spirit.

The Model of the Excellent University: When Output Speaks for Itself

A university aspiring to true excellence must adopt an integrated model for engaging students and professors in the knowledge creation process—the true measure of higher education quality. This model consists of clear organizational goals and policies, supportive facilities like databases and advanced laboratories, and strategies for recruiting those with high research experience. It also includes allocating sufficient time for individual and institutional projects, supporting publication in international journals that give articles wide citations, and linking promotions and raises to actual productivity.

When we apply this model, you will find others speaking about your output. You won't need to defend yourself or talk much about your achievements—your research will speak for you with an audible voice. Then you will stop narrating 'opinions' and start talking about 'facts,' and gain enough confidence to say "I don't know" when unable to answer, because your self-confidence will be built on a solid scientific foundation and untarnished integrity.

Conclusion: A Call to Action and Change

I always keep two essential sayings before me: "Your half knowledge is worse than no knowledge," and "Little knowledge is a dangerous thing." Therefore, I find the model I have presented to you represents a genuine roadmap. I recommend any university aspiring to excellence to adopt it, with additional supportive components such as 'editing support' services to overcome language barriers, and official recognition of 'academic mentoring' efforts—a side that consumes long time and great effort from the researcher and supervisor.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to urge you with all sincerity to reexamine your research and publication productivity—individually and institutionally. Productivity, as we have reviewed, is an integrated process beginning with your own definition of success, formulating your mission, evaluating your passion, creating motivation, to effective communication. Try to align these elements with university goals, and always think 'outside the box.' Oppose that discouraging rule claiming research without promotion or degree goals is a waste of time—you already possess the tools and skills to make a real difference.

My greatest wish is to see you take tangible action now, and overcome any form of frustration or rejection hindering your results publication. Always ask yourselves: If not now, when? And if not you, who?

My concluding words to you are that perseverance and hard work are the only keys to successful academic publishing. I look forward to your successes—once you gain a vision of your future linking your definition of success with integrity and honesty, trust completely that you will never be as you were before.

I wish you all success.