The University of Duhok is committed to promoting research excellence and recognising the outstanding contributions of our academic community. Our Publications Recognition Program acknowledges researchers who publish in high-impact international journals and contribute to the global body of knowledge.

Recognition Categories:

• Presidential Distinguished Letter: Awarded to researchers publishing in Q1 and Q2 Clarivate (Web of Science) indexed journals.
• Financial Awards: Based on journal ranking and index

Why Publish in High-Impact Journals?

Publishing in internationally recognised journals:

• Enhances your academic reputation globally
• Contributes to the University of Duhok's international ranking, such as Times Higher Education (THE) and QS
• Provides career advancement opportunities
• Brings recognition and financial rewards
• Contributes to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq's scientific development

Award Timeline:

• Publications registered: Throughout the academic year (Sep 1 - Aug 31).
• Verification process: September - October.

Understanding Journal Classifications and Indexing

Academic journals are classified and ranked based on their indexing in various international databases. The University of Duhok recognises publications based on the following indexing systems:

1. Web of Science (WoS/Clarivate): Premium citation indexing service with impact factor.
2. SCOPUS (Elsevier): One of the largest abstract and citation databases of peer-reviewed literature.
3. Local Approved Journals: Journals approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
4. DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) and DOI: Database of high-quality, peer-reviewed open access journals.

Quartile Rankings (Q1-Q4)

Journals indexed in SCOPUS and Web of Science are ranked by quartiles based on their citation metrics:

1. Q1 (First Quartile): Top 25% of journals in the field - Highest prestige and impact.
2. Q2 (Second Quartile): 25-50% range - High-quality journals.
3. Q3 (Third Quartile): 50-75% range - Good quality journals.
4. Q4 (Fourth Quartile): 75-100% range - Acceptable quality journals.

Impact Factor (IF): Web of Science journals are also measured by Impact Factor, which indicates the average number of citations received per paper published in that journal.

Eligibility Criteria

1. The author must be affiliated with the University of Duhok at the time of publication.
2. University of Duhok must be listed as the primary or corresponding author affiliation.
3. Publication must be within the academic year (Sep 1 - Aug 31).
4. Only the first to fourth in Science and Engineering and the third author in Humanities and Education positions are eligible for awards.
5. All publications must be verified and approved by the Quality Assurance Directorate.