Academic Excellence and Ethical Publishing in Chilean Higher Education: Challenges and Strategies for Sustainable Knowledge Generation-Part I

Higher education institutions face increasing pressure to produce original research that is published in national and international journals and aligned with their strategic plans and accreditation requirements. The National Accreditation Commission (CNA) oversees an institutional accreditation system that requires compliance with various academic and financial indicators. At the same time, the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) offers funding opportunities for researchers and graduates, allowing the realization of projects that generate doctoral theses, articles, and patents within disciplines defined by the Government and the relevant academic bodies of the country. Accreditation, granted for a maximum of seven years, is considered a direct indicator of academic excellence, and nonaccredited institutions may be excluded from the higher education system, affecting teachers, students, and administrative staff. To meet these requirements, universities have had to establish an evaluation framework to measure the capacity of their members, especially in generating original research and academic publications. However, this approach has led to sustained growth in the number of scientific publications, albeit with adverse effects. Limited resources and the obligation to publish in greater numbers have led to problems affecting the quality of research and to harmful phenomena, such as the increase in the retraction of scientific articles or the proliferation of so-called predatory scientific journals driven by commercial interests rather than academic rigor. This reflects a wider problem underlying an evaluation system that prioritizes the quantity of publications over their quality in an increasingly competitive and resource-intensive environment. This study examines whether the methods and metrics used to assess the quality of academic publications are adequate to ensure their alignment with national priorities and the principles of an academy oriented towards excellence. It also explores alternative publishing channels, such as articles in congresses (proceedings), contrasting them with traditional publications in indexed journals. Proceedings articles are evaluated not only in terms of their academic merit but also in terms of their industrial relevance and impact on applied research and publications in scientific journals. In addition, it is questioned whether journals indexed and classified into quartiles should be the only means of evaluation or the most valuable one for measuring scientific production. The study proposes a values-based framework that promotes meaningful academic progress, ensuring its alignment with local needs and promoting substantial contributions to national development. The importance of reviewing current methods for evaluating the quality of publications is also stressed, considering alternative forms of dissemination such as technical reports, technical regulations, and other documents that represent a direct contribution to society by establishing technical guidelines that often must be followed in a legal manner. The results of this study highlight the need to revise current methods for evaluating the quality of scientific publications, which give excessive priority to indexed journals and quartile classification. Although these mechanisms have established standards within academic production, it is essential to consider other forms of knowledge dissemination that also generate a significant impact on society. In this regard, documents such as technical reports, technical standards, and other specialized publications play a crucial role in providing guidelines applicable in industrial, regulatory, and public policy contexts. These documents not only constitute a valuable source of knowledge but also mark technical guidelines that, in many cases, must be followed in a mandatory manner within legal and regulatory frameworks. Therefore, it is essential to move towards a system of evaluation of scientific production that equitably values both traditional publications and those with a direct impact on society. This will foster research that is more aligned with the needs of the country, promoting more inclusive, applied, and problem-oriented academic development.