2024 World Top Scientist Assoc. Prof. Ulla engages with USeP on strengthening SPJRD’s global reach
2024 World Top Scientist Assoc. Prof. Ulla engages with USeP on strengthening SPJRD’s global reach
To enhance the quality and global presence of the Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development (SPJRD), the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) held a consultative session with Assoc. Prof. Mark Bedoya Ulla, PhD, of Walailak University, Thailand, a scholar recognized among the World’s Top 2% Scientists (2024), on October 6, 2025, in Davao City.
Citation, international collaboration, faculty involvement, and institutional investment were among the key recommendations emphasized by Assoc. Prof. Ulla to help SPJRD achieve a higher journal ranking, particularly in Scopus and Web of Science indexes. He noted that these factors are essential for attaining research excellence within the university and for strengthening both the journal’s performance and the institution’s reputation.
On citation practices, Ulla noted that citation count serves as a major performance indicator of a journal’s impact. He encouraged authors to regularly monitor their h-index to identify articles with low citation counts and take steps to boost their visibility. He also advised against citing predatory journals and low-quality conference proceedings, stressing the importance of referencing only legitimate, Scopus-indexed sources. Affirming this, SPJRD Editor-in-Chief Sajed S. Ingilan expressed that the journal already enforces strict citation screening and requires authors to remove sources from potentially predatory journals or publishers.
Ulla also underscored international collaboration as a critical factor in boosting journal visibility and impact. Walailak University discourages sole-authored papers and instead promotes collaborative publications, especially with international partners, because works with international co-authors tend to achieve higher visibility and citation rates.
Furthermore, the consultation addressed faculty research performance and institutional investment. Ulla argued that Scopus-indexed publications should be integral to faculty ranking and promotion. The involvement of faculty in publications will increase the institution's publication output, which will help elevate the university’s academic standing and, ultimately, its international ranking. This led to a discussion on the importance of institutional financial commitment to support faculty research. Ulla revealed that Walailak University allocates 40% of its annual budget to research, underscoring that achieving a research university status requires this level of dedicated financial support for scholarly output.
The session extended to discussing altmetrics, which measure an article’s impact and reach through online platforms such as social media. Ulla strongly encouraged researchers to make their studies accessible online. He asserted that research is “meant to be read by people, not hidden”, as making studies visible online is directly linked to enhancing an article’s citation potential and overall impact.
As part of his continuing academic engagements, Ulla announced that Walailak University will host the 2nd International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning in March 2026. He invited USeP faculty and Language Students’ Society members to participate and highlighted how international scholarly exchanges increase global visibility.
Beyond sharing best practices, Assoc. Prof. Ulla’s consultation served as a catalyst for institutional improvement through research publication. If the university seeks to elevate its journal and rank among international universities, it should build on its strengths and measure academic productivity for continuous improvement.
Words by: Ashlee Jane S. Inso, USeP Language Students' Society (LSS) President
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