By – Dr. Mangangcha
The role played by literary journals in strengthening the language and literature of Manipur is immense. For many decades, journals such as Sahitya (Manipur Sahitya Parishad, Imphal), Ritu (Cultural Forum Manipur, Imphal), Wakhal (Naharol Sahitya Premee Samiti, Imphal), Sahitya Leichal (Manipuri Literary Society, Imphal), and Sahityagi Pao (Writer’s Forum Imphal) have served as vital bridges in the journey of Manipuri literature. However, when viewed from the perspective of academic research, a question arises: do these journals fall under the category of Peer-reviewed Research Journals? In the wake of the revolution brought by the New Education Policy (NEP-2020), which has initiated a new movement in academics, it is unethical to self-claim a publication as an “Academic Research Journal” without following proper standards.
What is Peer-review? Before an article is published in a research journal, the process where experts in that specific field (peers) conduct a blind review to check the quality, methodology, and originality is called Peer-review. Only through this process is a research paper considered valid in the academic field. Including creative literature like poetry, short stories, or commercial advertisements in a journal diminishes its identity as a Research Journal. An Academic Research Journal requires specific components such as an Abstract, Keywords, Aim & Objective, Methodology, Scope of the Article, Literature Review, Research Gapping, Findings, Body, and referencing styles like APA or MLA. An article printed in a 2-3 page layout like a general magazine cannot be deemed fit for an academic research journal.
Literary vs. Academic Focus: Journals like Sahitya, Ritu, Sahityagi Pao, Sahitya Leichal, and Wakhal primarily focus on literary creation. In these, poetry, short stories, and general essays play a major role. This does not align with the strict formats and citation styles (APA, MLA) followed by research journals.
Review Process: In these journals, editors select the articles, but there is a perceived lack of infrastructure and expert panels to follow strict academic peer-review protocols (double-blind review). To meet current academic standards, efforts should be made to include these journals in the UGC-CARE list. Currently, Manipur’s literary journals are unable to find a place on this list.
Conclusion: While journals like Sahitya, Sahityagi Pao, and Wakhal are the “Soul” of Manipuri literature, they cannot be classified as Peer-reviewed Research Journals from an academic standpoint. It is crucial for research scholars to recognize this reality when publishing articles for their Career Advancement (API Score). If we aim to push Manipuri literature toward global academic standards, the time has come to either upgrade existing literary journals into a peer-review format or establish new research-focused journal.