The MCI has made the publication of research articles in indexed journals as mandatory for the promotion of various teaching faculty but has not clarified what types of articles are to be considered as research articles. Any publication in a peer-reviewed indexed journal should be considered as evidence for the academic aptitude of the faculty. A case report, a review article, a letter or a short communication requires as much academic orientation as an original article. There is a view that only original articles can be considered as research publications.
This tends to narrow down clinical medicine into a statistical analytical skill and is not good for the development of the art of clinical medicine. The MCI should spell out its stand clearly and unambiguously since it concerns the direction of medical education as a whole. Do you agree?
