سخن سردبیر : پژوهشنامه علم‌سنجی در آستانه اعتبار جهانی: از همبستگی و هم‌افزایی اندیشه‌ها تا فتح افق‌های نوین

We are all delighted by the news that the Scientometrics Research Journal has been accepted into the Scopus citation index, simultaneously achieving a Q3 rank, marking a significant achievement of the year. This is a source of great joy and a symbol of collective victory and scientific solidarity. This major achievement results from a purposeful collective movement and constructive synergy among the journal's stakeholders. It also represents the maturity and dynamism of the Iranian scientific community in the fields of Scientometrics, Information Science, and Knowledge and Studies.  Essentially, this achievement clearly demonstrates how the solidarity of ideas and collective action, stronger than any other force, can propel the journal to new horizons.
As the editor-in-chief, I have always believed that the credibility and influence of a scientific journal result from a value chain formed within a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem, where every link plays a vital role. This chain consists of thinkers and experts who, through their various roles as authors, reviewers, editorial board members, the editor-in-chief, and readers, actively participate in contributing to creating synergy in the growth and promotion of the journal. The journal's success in attracting the attention of reputable international indexes is a testament to the fact that, after years of relentless effort, this ecosystem has transformed from a collection of individuals into an active and responsible scientific community. This success also signifies the confirmation of quality, high academic standards, and adherence to ethical principles in publishing, which are only possible through active and responsible participation.
A deeper look at this synergy clearly reveals how the collective and qualitative actions of the stakeholders have brought about this success.
Authors: The Principal Architects of Scientific Content
Authors are the heart and soul, as well as the principal architects, of the content in any scientific journal. Their role extends beyond merely writing a research paper and directly impacts a journal's success. By providing high-quality, innovative, and well-documented articles, authors enrich the journal. By addressing new issues or offering novel solutions to longstanding questions, they enhance the journal's appeal and significance. A journal recognized as a platform for publishing pioneering research quickly gains popularity among researchers, leading to an increased citation rate of its articles. The quality of any scientific journal depends directly on the vision and commitment of its authors. More than mere authors, they are the architects of the journal's content. By submitting innovative, problem-oriented, and well-documented research, authors not only contribute to human knowledge but also, with every word and data point in their articles, help shape the journal's credibility and reputation. Furthermore, their constructive engagement in responsibly responding to reviewer comments and meticulously revising articles demonstrates respect for the scientific process and cooperation with the journal. This directly enhances the final quality of the articles and, consequently, advances the Scientometrics Research Journal. In addition, commitment to research ethics and courage in presenting new ideas have been the prominent characteristics of the journal's authors.
Authors are responsible for publishing their research results with complete accuracy, honesty, and integrity. This commitment to scientific honor is the fundamental basis for gaining the trust of international databases.
Reviewers: The Conscience and Quality Enhancers
The peer review process is the heartbeat and turning point of scientific publishing.  In the Scientometrics Research Journal, an instructive review is the agenda; Our reviewers are not only serving as a scientific community, but also considering the quality enhancers of articles. As experts and confidants of the scientific community, reviewers have a serious task of ensuring the quality and credibility of the articles, and their role goes beyond a simple review.
A committed reviewer, by providing profound, constructive, and transformative feedback, helps the author elevate their research to a higher level. Reviewers act as a filter by meticulously evaluating the article's methodology, results, arguments, and innovation. A good reviewer not only points out the weaknesses of an article but also helps the author improve their article to a higher level by providing specific feedback and practical solutions. This feedback serves as a valuable learning opportunity for authors and leads to the growth of their knowledge. In addition, responsible reviewers help expedite the publishing process by adhering to specified deadlines. Speed, along with accuracy, makes the journal an attractive choice for authors. Furthermore, adherence to the principles of review ethics—such as avoiding conflicts of interest, confidentiality of information, and fair review and evaluation—is a principle to guarantee the credibility of both reviewers and the journal.  This comprehensive approach to peer review processes enhances the journal's articles to an excellent standard before receiving acceptance. Moreover, the speed and accuracy of the review, review process, with strict adherence to ethical principles and impartiality, transformed the Scientometrics Research Journal into a platform for superior research and gained the trust of the scientific community. This trust, which has been created in the shadow of the role of peer reviewers, is one of the most important evaluation criteria in the journal's acceptance process for indexing in databases such as Scopus.
Editorial Board: Guardians and Policymakers of the Scientific Path
The editorial board members are the journal's guardians and policymakers. With a deep understanding of the nature of Scientometrics and global trends, they have envisioned the journal's future. Their primary responsibility is to support the editor-in-chief in managing the complex publishing process based on scientific and ethical principles. This group, with its strategic vision, accompanies the editor-in-chief in guiding the journal toward emerging research areas and ensures the quality of articles by providing an appropriate platform for the editor's intelligent selection of reviewers.
The editorial board's commitment to international publishing standards, transparency in the review process, and adherence to ethical principles has strengthened the journal's readiness for acceptance in reputable international databases. Their empathy and collaboration in major decisions have transformed the journal into a specialized and trustworthy reference, providing strong support for the editor-in-chief's final decisions. Additionally, the editorial board significantly helps attract valuable articles by inviting prominent authors and introducing the journal within research circles.
Readers: The Life-Givers and Disseminators of Knowledge
The role of readers in the journal's success, especially in gaining international credibility, is highly crucial. As the final and indispensable link in this chain, their qualitative actions have significantly contributed to increasing the journal's impact factor and its advancement to a Q3 ranking. Although the main goal of research should not be merely to improve citation statistics, citing published articles is one of the most important factors in increasing a journal's impact factor and citation metrics. Therefore, every reader, in the capacity of an author, can contribute to the cycle of knowledge in their field by citing relevant and high-quality articles, particularly those recently published in the journal. This action solidifies the Scientometrics Research Journal's position as a platform for publishing high-quality articles.
Thus, every citation made by a researcher to an article in the Scientometrics Research Journal breathes life into the journal. A reader's qualitative behavior in citing published articles, disseminating knowledge, and creating scientific discussions around them not only boosts the journal's citation statistics but also demonstrates the journal's impact on the flow of science in the Iran and globally. These impacts are the most important factors in proving a journal's importance and credibility to reputable international indexes like Scopus. This active participation of readers shows they are more than just consumers of content and play a key role in giving life to and disseminating knowledge.
Final Word
The success of a scientific journal is the result of a great team effort. Every thinker and expert who plays a role in this ecosystem not only contributes to the journal's growth but also helps accredit themselves and their own scientific community. This solidarity and collective responsibility are the driving forces behind scientific progress, and we in the Scientometrics Research Journal are proud of it. The acceptance of this journal in the Scopus database is the result of a purposeful and qualitative synergy and the collective responsibility of all stakeholders. This achievement demonstrates the truth that when every individual in the scientific community acts in a responsible, qualitative, and collaborative manner, a journal can cross local boundaries and become a global reference.
Over the years, every author who entrusted us with their high-quality articles, every reviewer who meticulously evaluated submissions, every editorial board member who advanced the journal through insightful policies, and every editor who corrected texts or citations have contributed to this great success. Being accepted into Scopus demonstrates that this journal has been able to establish a valuable cycle of high-quality content production, accurate and responsible publication. This success achievement marks the journal's entry into a global network of knowledge and research, providing our articles to a larger number of researchers. Consequently, the visibility and likelihood of citation of articles by Iranian Scientometrics at the international level will increase.
I sincerely thank all the authors, reviewers, editorial board members, dear readers, and everyone who supported us on this challenging journey with their efforts and cooperation. This success is the result of collective action and belongs to the entire community of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, and Scientometrics in Iran. With this achievement, we commit ourselves to continuing this path with hard work and adherence to quality, aiming to elevate the Scientometrics Research Journal to new horizons and greater heights. Journal will always need the collaboration of its stakeholders to elevate its standing and address the following important questions:
-   What new policies and frameworks should be considered to further elevate the journal's international standing?
-   What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Scientometrics Research Journal compared to other international journals in the field of Scientometrics, and what opportunities and threats does it face?
-   How has the internationalization of the journal impacted the reflection and visibility of research results by Iranian researchers?
-   What new thematic areas should be added to the journal to attract innovative and problem-oriented articles that lead to an increased citation rate?
-   How can new types of articles (such as review articles, case studies, or technical reports) be added to the journal to increase its appeal to researchers?
-   How can authors be incentivized to provide new ideas and higher-quality research?
-   What new strategies can be adopted to further improve the review process and increase its speed and accuracy?
-   To what extent does the current review process help authors elevate their articles to a higher level?
-   How can the transparency and ethical principles of the publishing process be improved to further strengthen the scientific community's trust in the journal?
-   What actions should be taken to increase international collaborations among authors, reviewers, and editorial board members?
-   How can social media and scientific platforms be used more than ever to increase the visibility and accessibility of the journal's articles?
-   How can the journal become an active and responsible scientific community where stakeholders continuously share their ideas and feedback?
The answers to these questions require the active participation of all stakeholders, especially researchers and graduate students in the fields of Scientometrics, and Knowledge and Information Science Studies.