Are reports from commissioned or contract research subsidised?

No. Any research output emanating from commissioned research or contracts paid by contracting organisations, e.g. the World Health Organisation or government departments, cannot be subsidised.

Are non-English language submissions accepted?

Yes. However, a brief outline of the content of non-English language submissions must accompany each publication: at least one page for books and ½ page for conference proceedings. Evidence of peer-review and other supporting documentation must be in English.

Are research outputs by students or visiting academics subsidised?

Yes. UCT can submit a publication count claim for authors who are affiliated to UCT as shown on the publication. This includes articles by academic staff, PASS staff, students, honorary staff, joint appointments and visiting academics. In cases where the affiliation to UCT does not appear on the hardcopy, a letter from the head of department should accompany the submission.

When will original books be returned to authors?

The DHET usually returns these books to the Research Office around November, and these will be returned to authors via the faculty or departmental co-ordinators soon after that.

Are late submissions accepted?

In certain cases, late publications that missed the previous reporting cycle may be accepted by the DHET if a valid reason is provided, e.g. delay by the publisher. Administrative oversight, e.g. the author or co-ordinator had forgotten to submit a publication, is not an acceptable reason. A motivation from the HoD indicating the reason for the late submission must accompany each late publication.

What happens if the author affiliation to UCT does not appear on the publication?

In such an instance, a letter is required from the Human Resources department, confirming the author’s affiliation to UCT. Please include a staff or student number, as well as date of appointment.

Are open-access journals subsidised?

Yes, on condition that these appear on one of the DHET- accredited lists.

Can two claims be made for the same research, when produced as two different output types?

No. For example, conference papers are sometimes published as part of the conference proceedings and subsequently published in a journal. Only one claim for the publication count can be made, as either the conference proceedings or the journal article.

What does DHET require in terms of peer-review?

DHET policy requires that all publications for research subsidy should be peer-reviewed. The following guidelines regarding peer review and evidence thereof should be followed:

• Peer review must be done by specialists in the field 
• Peer review must be done prior to publication 
• Full articles and not just abstracts (as is the case for some conferences), must be peer reviewed
• Conference papers must be peer reviewed for publication and not only for presentation
• Authors and editors cannot be part of the peer-review process of their own papers
• Emails from authors confirming peer review are not accepted as evidence of peer review
• Statements of peer review are only acceptable if the process is detailed. A simple statement “This book has been peer-reviewed” is unacceptable.