Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND STRATEGIC VISION

Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences presents a profile of notable strengths in research integrity alongside critical strategic vulnerabilities. With an overall score of -0.210, the institution demonstrates robust internal controls in key areas, evidenced by very low risk levels in Retracted Output, Institutional Self-Citation, Hyperprolific Authorship, and Redundant Output. These results indicate a solid foundation of responsible research conduct. However, this is contrasted by a significant risk in the gap between its total scientific impact and the impact of research under its direct leadership, and medium-level risks related to publication in discontinued journals and hyper-authorship. According to SCImago Institutions Rankings data, the university holds a position of national leadership in several thematic areas, particularly in Agricultural and Biological Sciences (ranked 2nd in Iran), Dentistry (27th), and Medicine (43rd). The identified risk of impact dependency directly challenges the long-term sustainability of this excellence, suggesting that its high standing may rely on external partners rather than inherent capacity. This dynamic, coupled with questionable publication venue choices, could undermine its mission of achieving scientific excellence and social responsibility. To secure its leadership position, the institution is advised to focus on converting its collaborative success into sovereign intellectual leadership, thereby ensuring its prestigious reputation is both sustainable and structurally sound.

ANALYSIS BY INDICATOR

Rate of Multiple Affiliations

The institution's Z-score of -0.770 is slightly lower than the national average of -0.615. This indicates that the university maintains a prudent and well-managed approach to academic collaborations, showing even more rigor than the national standard. While multiple affiliations are often a legitimate result of researcher mobility and partnerships, the institution’s controlled rate suggests its collaborative practices are well-governed and do not show signals of being used as a strategic tool to artificially inflate institutional credit or engage in “affiliation shopping.”

Rate of Retracted Output

With a Z-score of -0.493, the institution demonstrates an exceptional record in a context where the national average sits at a moderate risk level (0.777). This performance signifies a clear preventive isolation, where the university does not replicate the risk dynamics observed in its environment. Retractions can be complex, but a rate significantly lower than the norm suggests that the institution's quality control and supervision mechanisms prior to publication are highly effective. This absence of risk signals points to a robust integrity culture that successfully prevents the kind of recurring malpractice or lack of methodological rigor that may be affecting the national system.

Rate of Institutional Self-Citation

The institution exhibits a Z-score of -1.713, which is substantially lower than the country's already low-risk score of -0.262. This demonstrates a strong outward-looking research orientation, consistent with national best practices but executed with even greater discipline. A certain level of self-citation is natural, but the university's exceptionally low rate confirms it is not operating within a scientific 'echo chamber.' This result indicates that the institution's academic influence is validated by the broader global community, effectively avoiding any risk of endogamous impact inflation where work is validated primarily by internal dynamics rather than sufficient external scrutiny.

Rate of Output in Discontinued Journals

The institution's Z-score of 0.350 is notably higher than the national average of 0.094, both of which fall within a medium-risk classification. This suggests that the university has a higher exposure to this particular risk factor compared to its national peers. This elevated rate constitutes a critical alert regarding due diligence in selecting dissemination channels. It indicates that a significant portion of its scientific production may be channeled through media that do not meet international ethical or quality standards. This practice exposes the institution to severe reputational risks and points to an urgent need for enhanced information literacy among its researchers to avoid wasting resources on 'predatory' or low-quality publications.

Rate of Hyper-Authored Output

With a Z-score of 0.201, the institution presents a moderate risk, deviating significantly from the low-risk national average of -0.952. This divergence suggests the university is more sensitive to factors leading to inflated author lists than its peers. In fields outside of 'Big Science,' where extensive author lists are not structurally necessary, this pattern can signal a dilution of individual accountability and transparency. The indicator serves as a warning to investigate whether these instances correspond to necessary massive collaborations or reflect 'honorary' or political authorship practices that should be addressed through clearer institutional guidelines.

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

The institution's Z-score of 4.265 is at a significant risk level, drastically accentuating a vulnerability that is only moderately present in the national system (Z-score of 0.445). This is a critical finding, suggesting that the university's scientific prestige is highly dependent on external collaboration and not reflective of its own structural capacity. The extremely wide positive gap—where overall impact is high but the impact of institution-led research is low—signals a severe sustainability risk. It invites urgent reflection on whether the institution's excellence metrics result from genuine internal capabilities or from strategic positioning in collaborations where it does not exercise intellectual leadership, making its reputation potentially fragile and exogenous.

Rate of Hyperprolific Authors

The institution's Z-score of -1.195 places it in the very low-risk category, a stronger position than the country's low-risk average of -0.247. This alignment with the national standard, but at a more secure level, indicates a healthy research environment. The complete absence of risk signals demonstrates that the institution effectively avoids the potential imbalances between quantity and quality associated with extreme individual publication volumes. This suggests a culture that does not encourage practices like coercive authorship or assigning credit without real participation, prioritizing the integrity of the scientific record over the inflation of metrics.

Rate of Output in Institutional Journals

With a Z-score of -0.268, the institution shows a near-total absence of this risk, standing in stark contrast to the moderate risk level seen nationally (1.432). This reflects a state of preventive isolation, where the university deliberately avoids practices that are more common in its environment. By not relying on its own journals for dissemination, the institution successfully sidesteps potential conflicts of interest and the risk of academic endogamy. This commitment to external, independent peer review ensures its scientific production is validated competitively and enhances its global visibility, rather than using internal channels as 'fast tracks' to inflate publication counts.

Rate of Redundant Output (Salami Slicing)

The institution's Z-score of -0.923 is firmly in the very low-risk category, well below the country's already low-risk average of -0.390. This demonstrates a consistent and robust approach to research publication that aligns with the best national standards. The absence of signals for this indicator suggests that the university's researchers are not engaging in data fragmentation or 'salami slicing' to artificially inflate their productivity. This practice prioritizes the communication of significant new knowledge over the mere volume of publications, contributing positively to the integrity of the scientific record.