Yazd University

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND STRATEGIC VISION

Yazd University demonstrates a solid overall integrity profile, reflected in its low global risk score of 0.028. The institution's primary strengths lie in its responsible authorship and affiliation practices, with exceptionally low risk in multiple affiliations, hyper-authorship, and publication in institutional journals. These indicators suggest a culture of transparency and a commitment to external validation that sets it apart from some national trends. However, this strong foundation is contrasted by a significant vulnerability in the Rate of Retracted Output and a medium-risk exposure to publication in discontinued journals. These weaknesses directly challenge the university's mission to foster "innovative research" and "development of science," as they can undermine the credibility and long-term value of its scientific contributions. The institution's notable academic strengths, particularly its Top 10 national rankings in Economics, Econometrics and Finance, and Business, Management and Accounting according to SCImago Institutions Rankings data, provide a powerful platform for impact. To fully realize its goal of driving economic growth, it is crucial to address the identified quality control and publication strategy gaps, ensuring that its excellent research capacity is matched by unimpeachable scientific integrity.

ANALYSIS BY INDICATOR

Rate of Multiple Affiliations

With a Z-score of -1.068, Yazd University exhibits a very low rate of multiple affiliations, performing better than the national average of -0.615. This result indicates a healthy and transparent approach to academic collaboration. The institution's complete absence of risk signals in this area aligns with, and even surpasses, the low-risk national standard. This demonstrates that its collaborative patterns are based on legitimate partnerships and researcher mobility, successfully avoiding any signs of strategic "affiliation shopping" or attempts to artificially inflate institutional credit.

Rate of Retracted Output

The institution's Z-score of 0.925 for retracted output is a significant concern, markedly higher than the country's medium-risk score of 0.777. This suggests that the university is not only exposed to a vulnerability present in the national system but is amplifying it. A high rate of retractions points to a potential systemic failure in quality control mechanisms prior to publication. Beyond isolated incidents, this value alerts to a weakness in the institution's integrity culture, indicating possible recurring malpractice or a lack of methodological rigor that requires immediate qualitative verification by management to protect its scientific reputation.

Rate of Institutional Self-Citation

Yazd University's Z-score of -0.250 is statistically normal and virtually identical to the national average of -0.262. This alignment indicates that the institution's level of self-citation is as expected for its context and size. The data suggests a healthy continuity of established research lines without crossing the threshold into concerning scientific isolation. This balance confirms that the university's work is validated by the broader academic community, avoiding the "echo chambers" or endogamous impact inflation that can arise from disproportionately high rates of self-citation.

Rate of Output in Discontinued Journals

The university's Z-score of 0.107 for output in discontinued journals reflects a systemic pattern, as it is very close to the national average of 0.094. This shared medium-risk level constitutes a critical alert regarding due diligence in selecting publication venues. It indicates that a portion of the institution's scientific production is being channeled through media that may not meet international ethical or quality standards. This practice exposes the university to severe reputational risks and suggests an urgent, system-wide need for enhanced information literacy to prevent the misallocation of research efforts into predatory or low-quality channels.

Rate of Hyper-Authored Output

The institution shows exceptional performance with a Z-score of -1.148, indicating a very low incidence of hyper-authored publications, well below the country's low-risk score of -0.952. This demonstrates a consistent and robust approach to authorship integrity that aligns with the national standard. The absence of risk signals suggests that the university effectively distinguishes between necessary large-scale collaboration and practices like "honorary" or political authorship, thereby maintaining high levels of individual accountability and transparency in its research output.

Gap between Impact of total output and the impact of output with leadership

With a Z-score of 0.144, the university shows a medium-level gap, but this figure represents a significantly better performance than the national average of 0.445. This indicates a differentiated management approach where the institution successfully moderates a risk that is more pronounced across the country. While a gap suggests some reliance on external partners for impact, the university's smaller value points to a stronger internal capacity for intellectual leadership. This mitigates the risk of developing a scientific prestige that is purely dependent and exogenous, reflecting a more sustainable and structural research excellence.

Rate of Hyperprolific Authors

Yazd University maintains a prudent profile with a Z-score of -0.703, which is considerably lower than the national average of -0.247. This demonstrates that the institution manages its research processes with more rigor than the national standard. By effectively controlling for extreme individual publication volumes, the university mitigates the risks of imbalances between quantity and quality. This prudent oversight helps prevent potential issues such as coercive authorship or the assignment of credit without meaningful participation, reinforcing the integrity of its scientific record.

Rate of Output in Institutional Journals

The university's Z-score of -0.268 signifies a very low rate of publication in its own journals, creating a preventive isolation from the medium-risk trend observed at the national level (Z-score: 1.432). This stark difference is a key institutional strength. By not replicating the risk dynamics of its environment, the university avoids potential conflicts of interest and academic endogamy. This commitment to independent, external peer review enhances the global visibility and credibility of its research, demonstrating a governance model that prioritizes international validation over internal publication channels.

Rate of Redundant Output

The institution's Z-score of -0.081, while in the low-risk category, signals an incipient vulnerability as it is higher than the country's average of -0.390. This suggests that the university is beginning to show early signals of data fragmentation that warrant review before they escalate. A rising value in this indicator can alert to the practice of dividing a coherent study into "minimal publishable units" to artificially inflate productivity. Addressing this now is key to preventing the distortion of scientific evidence and ensuring that research output prioritizes significant new knowledge over volume.