Research Article
Ayesha Zahid, Zhu Qinghe, Ali Sohail
Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research, Volume 5, Issue 1, pp. 3-12
ABSTRACT
Feedback is an essential component of the communication process and without feedback, any communication is considered as incomplete. The research intended to explore the process of communication, its impeding factors and varying aspects of feedback in it. The study analyzed communication barriers involved in the family, educational and religious institutes in Pakistani society. The study also intended to explore various alternate sources for feedback developed by the message receiving audience due to different hindering aspects of social institutes. The current research applied a qualitative approach with the interview method. Keeping in view the objectives of the study, 60 respondents were selected through purposive sampling technique. Furthermore, three categories comprising students, children and religious followers, 20 each, from their respective social institutes, were derived through stratified sampling technique. The researcher found out the communication barriers; stereotypical believes, less awareness with modern knowledge, poor educational background and social pressure, to be the main reasons in diverting the receivers’ feedback route from the standard pathway to alternate sources. Study apprehend that the message receiving audience, under specified communication barriers, relies on alternate sources, social discussion, internet social media and interpersonal communication to relieve their response. Resultantly, the response which supposedly had to reach the exact sender of the message, reaches the irrelevant audience in the society, making it more complicated and diverse. Hence, the process of communication gets diverted and results in the generation of new ways of feedback.
Keywords: communication barriers, feedback, social interactions, Pakistani family system
Review Article
Valentine Joseph Owan, Mercy Valentine Owan
Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research, Volume 5, Issue 1, pp. 13-21
ABSTRACT
The use of impact factor (IF) in the scientific and academic world is not new. A phenomenon that has gained wide-spread recognition and utilization. However, in modern-day usage, there seems to be a trend in higher education where academics are evaluated based on the impact factor of journals where scholarly works are published. This trend is gradually shifting the paradigm from the assessment of research contents to publication venue. This does not align with the original purpose of IF conceived by Garfield in 1955. One question that has continued to agitate the minds of concerned academics is whether the IF of journals is a dependable measure of research quality. This paper is an attempt to clarify or address this problem. Based on a thorough literature search and filtration, several problems about the use of IF as research quality measure are discussed as well as their implications. Recommendations were also made aimed at providing a way forward in higher education.
Keywords: evaluation, higher education, impact factor, journal, measure, research