As part of efforts to strengthen research competencies and improve academic publishing, the College of Computing, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State, has organised a one day seminar on Excellence in Research Methodology and Academic Publishing. The seminar, held on Thursday, 15 October 2026, featured presentations on research planning, proposal development, publication ethics and strategies for producing quality academic publications.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Igbasan, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kenneth Nwoko, commended the Dean and the College of Computing for organising the programme. He emphasised the importance of expanding future editions to accommodate more staff and students across the University, particularly academic staff, to ensure that more members of the University community benefit from the knowledge shared.
He further encouraged the organisers to invite scholars from outside the University to promote knowledge exchange and expose participants to diverse perspectives on research and academic publishing. He also urged other colleges to emulate the initiative, highlighting the importance of collaboration and continuous learning in strengthening the University’s research culture.
In her presentation titled Research Methodology in Computing, Dr Ngozi Chigozie Egejuru discussed essential aspects of research, including research planning, proposal development, research ethics and report writing formats. She emphasised the importance of a structured approach to research in producing credible, systematic and well organised academic work.
Similarly, Dr A. Festus Osuolale, in his presentation titled Academic/Journal Publishing: A Comprehensive Guide for Scholars, addressed key stages of academic publishing, including formulating research questions, developing effective abstracts and titles, maintaining language integrity and preparing manuscripts for submission. He also discussed journal selection, open access publishing, article processing charges, journal metrics and rankings, predatory publishers, submission requirements, publication ethics, peer review models and the publication process.
In his address, the Dean of the College of Computing, Prof. Isaac Odun-Ayo, explained that the seminar was conceived following a meeting held after three days of groundbreaking prayers, during which the need for the programme was identified. He acknowledged that research methodology was already taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels but stressed that continuous learning remained essential to effective teaching and research. He noted that the knowledge gained would improve academic publishing skills, strengthen the University’s academic programmes and enhance its visibility.
Quoting Albert Einstein and referring to the widely attributed statement by futurist Alvin Toffler on the need to learn, unlearn and relearn, Prof. Odun-Ayo emphasised the importance of intellectual curiosity and continuous professional development. He further disclosed that the seminar would become a regular training programme, with another edition scheduled to hold in two weeks. He explained that the forthcoming seminar would adopt a multidisciplinary approach to accommodate other disciplines and involve the entire University community, in line with the recommendation of the Deputy Vice Chancellor.
The seminar attracted members of the College of Computing and staff from other colleges, who participated in the sessions to broaden their knowledge and strengthen their research and academic publishing skills. The programme also featured a question and answer session, during which participants asked questions, shared observations and contributed to discussions on research methodology and academic publishing.
