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| GUEST EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2018 | Volume
: 1
| Issue : 1 | Page : 4-5 |
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All India Institute of Ayurveda Launching Quarterly Journal of Ayurveda Case Reports
Ram Harsh Singh
Distinguished Professor, Department of Kayachikitsa, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| Date of Web Publication | 7-Jul-2022 |
Correspondence Address:
Ram Harsh Singh
Distinguished Professor, Department of Kayachikitsa, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/2667-0593.350099
How to cite this article:
Singh RH. All India Institute of Ayurveda Launching Quarterly Journal of Ayurveda Case Reports. J Ayurveda Case Rep 2018;1:4-5 |
How to cite this URL:
Singh RH. All India Institute of Ayurveda Launching Quarterly Journal of Ayurveda Case Reports. J Ayurveda Case Rep [serial online] 2018 [cited 2023 May 30];1:4-5. Available from: http://www.ayucare.org/text.asp?2018/1/1/4/350099 |
I am delighted to learn that All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi is launching a quarterly journal of Ayurveda Case Reports (AyuCaRe). I wish this new journal a grand success. The success of any such periodical publication depends on the quality of its contents and its uninterrupted production with realistic peer reviewing and growth of its readership among the educators, researchers and practitioners of Ayurveda. Inspite of some progress in the area of research by way of MD, Ph.D theses and few institutional research project mode researches; the rate of quality publication from AYUSH sector has remained disappointing. Some recently launched journals such as J-AIM, AYU, ASL and AAM have shown steady growth but have not succeeded to earn any impact factor. Traditional Chinese medicine and Yoga have shown better performance than Ayurveda, which is really a matter of concern. The reason for this slow turnover of publications is due to lack of quality research in this sector besides lack of core competency and lack of skill for research writing. The third important factor is the dearth of good journals in this field willing to consider Ayurvedic research submissions.
I am really happy to notice the initiatives of AIIA to launch a new journal. Rapid publication needs rapid growth of quality research yielding publishable data. It is hoped that Central Council for Researches in Ayurvedic Sciences will pool its resources and expertise to promote Ayurvedic research both in fundamental and applied aspects specially clinical researches through appropriate scientific research methodology. I have been closely involved in teaching, research and practice of Ayurveda for over 50 years. My experiences suggest that one of the main barriers in AYUSH research is non-availability of appropriate research methodology which may test Ayurveda as it is in true sense. Most of the present day researchers conduct small scratchy researches ignoring the Ayurvedic approach and principles using hurriedly borrowed conventional methodology resulting in baseless data throwing no light on Ayurveda. As a matter of fact, Ayurveda research is facing a serious methodology crisis.
It cannot be overemphasized that Ayurveda has greater strength in its unique principles, concepts and approaches, not so much in its medications. But the entire R&D effort is devoted in drug development through conventional methods with little outcome. The methodology of clinical drug research too is standing on the crossroads seeking right directions in the changing scenario. The double blind placebo controlled clinical trials which were considered the gold standards of drug testing during mid-20th century are no more considered gold standards as they are full of fallacies and flaws specially when applied to Ayurvedic research.
The reverse pharmacology approach with pragmatic clinical trials and careful and critical clinical case studies are now considered as more authentic methods of clinical evaluation of the safety and efficacy of a drug or a procedure. In view of this trend, it is in fitness of things that, AIIA is launching a quarterly journal of Ayurveda Case Reports (AyuCaRe). But this enterprise will be purposeful only if clinicians keep good records and carry case reporting in a duly critical and intensive manner and not in a casual way. Each case report should be peer-reviewed by three reviewers without any conflict of interest. Clinical case reports need more rigorous scrutiny than the reports of controlled clinical trials.
Many Indian journals who claim that they are peer reviewed, treat the peer reviewing process as a formality and as an academic ritual serving no purpose. There is also an acute shortage of willing and competent reviewers. The important issues like conflict of interest and authenticity of investigational data are often ignored. Most journals are starving of publishable submissions and there is not much choice of selection of papers for running the life-line of a journal. Most of the journals appear quarterly and there is hardly a good monthly journal in AYUSH sector. Hence there is a simultaneous need of fast track promotion and enhancement of good research in Ayurveda on one hand and similar activism on quality publication. Research and publication have to go hand in hand. The educational institutions need to be vitalized to produce talented and skilled postgraduates who may have work-culture and scientific temper with willingness and passion to opt research and teaching as a career.
The role of good practitioners in the professional field, public or private, is equally important. Our practitioners could conduct good clinical research in practice settings and could submit good clinical research reports for publication in AIIA Journal. All India Institute of Ayurveda should organize periodical workshops and training program for postgraduate students and faculty members to learn the skill of writing Ayurveda research papers and proposals. This is absolutely essential because the main reason why Ayurvedic academia is trailing behind is the poor performance on research and publication frontiers. AIIA being the apex institution of higher studies in Ayurveda, its mandatory responsibility is to play activism. There is need of Action Now, no more tomorrows.
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