VSU has established itself as a leading academic institution in the Visayas region, with a growing scholarly research output. To compete globally and fulfill its mandate as a knowledge hub in agriculture, development, and allied sciences, there is a pressing need to strengthen its research culture, publication output, and policy engagement.

On August 4-6, 2025, the VSU Research Office, in collaboration with Prof. Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, Founder of Global Health Focus, conducted a Writeshop on Crafting Thought Papers: Journal-Targeted Approach at the RDE Hall, Visayas State University, Baybay City, Leyte. This writeshop aims to intensify VSU’s production of high-impact publications by guiding VSU faculty researchers in crafting thought papers for submission to Scopus-Indexed Journals.

VSU President, Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes, showed her support during her welcome address. She highlighted that publication output is not just about contributing to the body of scientific knowledge, but it is often used as a key metric for research performance. 

“On behalf of the entire academic community of VSU, I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to all our active participants and esteemed Resource Person. May we have a meaningful and productive three-day workshop. Mabuhay ang VSU!” she said. 

Overview of Academic Publishing Landscape 

ELP explained that VSU ranked 14th-15th in the Philippines in terms of Scopus Publications Ranking with 659 indexed articles. He noted that faculty researchers should explore and diversify other Scopus-covered formats, such as thought papers, which can increase visibility and contribute to the impact of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He emphasized the strategic value of thought papers. These are short, well-argued academic pieces that present viewpoints, commentaries, or reflective essays without requiring new empirical data. While these should complement, rather than replace, original research, they can be developed alongside ongoing projects to maintain a steady publication output.

Manuscript Structure & Targeting the Right Scopus-indexed Journal

As part of the workshop, participants were provided with hands-on techniques in aligning their manuscript structure with target journals. ELP stressed the importance of matching the format, topic, and style of the manuscript to a journal’s scope for better acceptance chances. He also discussed strategies for journal selection, avoiding predatory outlets, and using co-authorship to maximize both research impact and institutional incentives.

Moreover, ELP noted that researchers must understand how to select journals strategically, prioritizing indexing potential and alignment with the university’s research agendas.

Introduction to Bibliometric Tools and Techniques

Another highlight of the workshop is the introduction of the practical process of using the bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. These tools are necessary for analyzing Scopus download datasets.

ELP emphasized that bibliometric analysis is one of the most efficient ways to produce publishable research. Participants were guided in feeding data into visualization software to generate keyword co-occurrence maps and word clouds. They were also guided in creating search strings with the help of AI.

Publishing scientific articles in Scopus-indexed journals is vital to achieving a competitive standing in the global academic arena. Consistent publication in Scopus-indexed journals profoundly influences world university rankings, such as the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

Essentially, Visayas State University, which aspires to elevate its stature as a leading research institution, publishing in Scopus-indexed journals is not just a benchmark of academic productivity; it is a vital mechanism for internationalization, impact creation, and institutional transformation.