Ajloun National University

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND STRATEGIC VISION

Ajloun National University presents a profile of notable contrasts, with an overall integrity score of 2.424 indicating a medium risk level that requires strategic attention. The institution demonstrates significant strengths in maintaining its scientific independence and focus, evidenced by very low rates of multiple affiliations and output in its own journals. This suggests a commendable resistance to academic endogamy and a clear policy on institutional representation. However, this positive foundation is critically undermined by a significant-risk score in publications within discontinued journals, a vulnerability that is far more pronounced than the national average and poses a direct threat to the university's reputation and the credibility of its research. According to SCImago Institutions Rankings data, the university has established a research presence in several key areas, with its strongest relative national rankings in Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Environmental Science. While a specific mission statement was not available, any institutional goal centered on academic excellence and social responsibility is compromised when research is channeled through outlets that lack recognized quality standards. To secure its long-term strategic vision, it is imperative for the university to leverage its clear strengths in governance and internal capacity to urgently implement robust quality control mechanisms for publication venue selection, thereby aligning its practices with its academic ambitions.

ANALYSIS BY INDICATOR

Rate of Multiple Affiliations

The institution exhibits a Z-score of -1.335, a very low-risk value that contrasts sharply with the national average of 0.836. This result suggests a case of preventive isolation, where the university does not replicate the risk dynamics observed in its national environment. While multiple affiliations can be a legitimate outcome of collaboration, disproportionately high rates can signal strategic attempts to inflate institutional credit. Ajloun National University's low score indicates a well-defined and focused affiliation policy, effectively preventing practices like “affiliation shopping” and ensuring that institutional credit is claimed with clarity and integrity, a practice that sets it apart from the broader national trend.

Rate of Retracted Output

With a Z-score of 0.014, the institution's rate of retracted output is considerably lower than the national average of 0.101, although both fall within the medium-risk category. This demonstrates differentiated management, where the university appears to moderate risks that are more common across the country. Retractions are complex events, and a rate significantly higher than average can alert to systemic failures in quality control. In this context, the university's lower score suggests that its pre-publication review and supervision mechanisms are more effective than those of its national peers, mitigating the frequency of errors or malpractice that lead to retractions and reflecting a more robust integrity culture.

Rate of Institutional Self-Citation

The university's Z-score for institutional self-citation is 1.361, placing it at a medium-risk level and notably above the national average of 1.075. This indicates a high exposure to this particular risk, suggesting the institution is more prone to this behavior than its peers. While a certain level of self-citation is natural, disproportionately high rates can signal concerning scientific isolation or 'echo chambers' where work is validated without sufficient external scrutiny. This elevated value warns of a potential for endogamous impact inflation, where the institution's academic influence might be oversized by internal dynamics rather than by broader recognition from the global scientific community.

Rate of Output in Discontinued Journals

The institution presents a critical Z-score of 12.740, a significant-risk value that dramatically exceeds the country's medium-risk average of 2.544. This finding points to a severe risk accentuation, where the university not only follows but dangerously amplifies a vulnerability present in the national system. A high proportion of publications in discontinued journals is a critical alert regarding due diligence in selecting dissemination channels. This extremely high Z-score indicates that a significant portion of the university's scientific production is being channeled through media that fail to meet international ethical or quality standards, exposing the institution to severe reputational risks and signaling an urgent need to improve information literacy and avoid wasting resources on 'predatory' or low-quality practices.

Rate of Hyper-Authored Output

With a Z-score of -0.861, which is slightly below the national average of -0.808, the institution demonstrates a prudent profile in managing authorship. Both scores are in the low-risk range, but the university's position indicates that it manages its processes with slightly more rigor than the national standard. Outside of "Big Science" contexts where extensive author lists are normal, high rates can indicate author list inflation, diluting accountability. The institution's low score suggests a healthy and transparent approach to authorship, effectively distinguishing between necessary collaboration and practices of 'honorary' authorship, thereby reinforcing individual responsibility.

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

The institution's Z-score of -0.637 reflects a low-risk profile, standing in stark contrast to the country's medium-risk score of 0.170. This signals strong institutional resilience, as internal control mechanisms appear to successfully mitigate systemic risks prevalent at the national level. A wide positive gap suggests that an institution's prestige is dependent on external partners rather than its own intellectual leadership. Ajloun National University's negative score is a positive indicator, suggesting that its scientific impact is structurally sound and derived from research where it exercises genuine leadership, pointing to a sustainable and self-sufficient model of academic excellence.

Rate of Hyperprolific Authors

The university's Z-score for hyperprolific authors is 0.369, a medium-risk value that is nearly identical to the national average of 0.332. This alignment suggests a systemic pattern, where the risk level reflects shared practices or evaluation incentives at a national level. Extreme individual publication volumes challenge the limits of meaningful intellectual contribution and can point to risks such as coercive authorship or the assignment of authorship without real participation. The university's score indicates that it is operating within a national context where such productivity patterns are common, highlighting a need to review evaluation criteria to ensure that quality is prioritized over sheer quantity.

Rate of Output in Institutional Journals

With a Z-score of -0.268, the institution shows a very low-risk rate of publication in its own journals, contrasting sharply with the national medium-risk average of 0.610. This is a clear indicator of preventive isolation, where the university avoids risk dynamics common in its environment. Excessive dependence on in-house journals can raise conflicts of interest and signal academic endogamy. The university's very low score demonstrates a strong commitment to independent, external peer review, which enhances the global visibility and credibility of its research by ensuring its work is validated through standard competitive channels rather than potentially biased internal 'fast tracks'.

Rate of Redundant Output

The institution's Z-score for redundant output is 0.041, a medium-risk value that is substantially lower than the national average of 0.522. This points to differentiated management, where the university effectively moderates a risk that appears more widespread across the country. Massive bibliographic overlap between publications often indicates 'salami slicing'—the practice of dividing a study into minimal units to inflate productivity. The university's significantly lower score suggests that its research culture and editorial policies better promote the publication of coherent, significant studies over the fragmentation of data, contributing more meaningfully to the scientific record.