The process takes on the average two and a half to three years, which is the world average as well.
Earlier, the first regional meeting of ministers and heads of scientific research institutions in Middle Eastern and North African countries discussed issues regarding scientific arbitration.
The event was held at KACST headquarters in cooperation with the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the US. Al-Suwaiyel reaffirmed refereeing research in the Kingdom has improved. He said refereeing in the Kingdom involves a number of methods, including two applied by KACST.
One of them is the research grant programs and method which began with the national plan for science and technology and another one applied at the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST).
Noting that he has discussed those methods and explained them at the meeting, the KACST chief added there are major differences in understanding the scientific basis and applications of the arbitration process.
Al-Suwaiyel stressed the need to clarify these differences to raise the scientific quality of refereeing in the region. The KACST chief said the meeting focused on the quality of arbitration for scientific research proposals in particular.
Dr. Graham Harrison, NSF representative in the United States, outlined the five principles of scientific refereeing, including expert assessment, transparency, impartiality, appropriateness of information, confidentiality, and integrity as well as their consistency with the ethics of the profession.
Another participant, the Iraqi Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Samarrai, stressed the need to find criteria for funding scientific research that would serve the interest of a country in research and guarantee its major benefits.
The Tunisian Minister of Higher Education Al-Munsif bin Salem also suggested the need for stimulating and encouraging the referees who are participating in judging the entries to ensure the quality of work, noting the importance of the contribution of scientific research in the development of higher education.
The participants discussed the issue of funding scientific research in the governmental and private sectors.
Participants also discussed some of the problems facing scientific arbitration in the region, such as the selection of neutral arbitrators. They stressed the need to create a system for the selection of referees and exchanges between countries in the region to improve the quality and the quality of research.
They also reviewed during the meeting ways to develop a global forum for ministers and heads of scientific research in the region prior to presenting them at the international meeting to be held during May in the US.
