Seminar – From Draft to Publication: How to Write a Journal Manuscript

Associate Professor Dr Faiz Al Faisal, Director of IT & Acting Chairperson, Dept. of CSE at Green University of Bangladesh, gave a motivational speech to start the session. He proudly highlighted GUB’s accomplishments, including its status of 2nd in the Impact status and 9th in the Scimago Ranking. He highlighted GUB’s expanding global reach by stressing the admittance of international students. Dr Faysal reminded everyone that “consistent research output is essential to take GUB forward” and urged both staff and students to contribute to research  publications. He underlined the value of lifelong learning by quoting the Holy Qur’anic first revelation, “Read.” 

Dr Faisal also discussed his experiences as IEEE SB’s treasurer at KUET from 2007 to 2008, reflecting on his own path with the organisation. He worked with the Bangladesh Navy and Ekushey Television, among other companies, thanks to IEEE, which gave him tremendous professional exposure. According to him, IEEE is a sizable international community that fosters both professional and personal development. 

After his remarks, the keynote address was given by Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Razzaque, SMIEEE, Chairman of the Dept. of CSE, University of Dhaka. His views on the discipline and nobility of research captivated the audience. He clarified that by connecting people to international research and industry, IEEE serves as the home of technology, innovation, and teamwork. As the fields at the vanguard of future innovation, Dr Razzaque urged IEEE activities to incorporate robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and software engineering (SWE). 

He talked about how IEEE connects more than 400,000 members globally, with a significant presence in Bangladesh. Effective research techniques, such as choosing focused, important topics, prioritising depth over breadth, and seeing mistakes as opportunities for growth, were explained by Dr Razzaque. He reminded them that every failed attempt advances science, quoting Thomas Edison. 

He illustrated how research benefits from perseverance and curiosity by using instances such as the transition from Bubble Sort to Quick Sort and Merge Sort. Dr Razzaque recommended concentrating on scientific articles with quantifiable outcomes and originality, emphasizing that analytical reasoning, not flawless English is what makes research successful. 

He also described how journals are categorized (Q1, Q2, etc.) and the significance of publishing in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. Narrowing down study difficulties, creating exact questions, concentrating on quantifiable metrics, and using accurate figures to substantiate conclusions were some of his practical recommendations.