UNN Lecturer Secures €3,580 Grant to Support Research on Digital Media

Dr Gever Verlumun, a Mass Communication lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has been awarded a German grant to aid in the publication of a special issue for his Scopus-indexed journal, the Ianna Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies.

As the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Verlumun announced during a Zoom press conference that the special issue’s theme is ‘Digital Media and Research in 21st-century Society: Assessing Current Trends and Projecting the Future.’

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He disclosed that the Centre for Advanced Internet Studies in Bochum, Germany, granted the award, which is worth €3,580. Verlumun explained, “The grant, valued at €3,580, will cover costs related to editing, printing, archiving, promotions, and distribution. The funds will not be directly transferred to me. Instead, I will need to complete the publication and then apply for reimbursement. I believe the theme of the special issue is significant as digital media and modern technologies have greatly impacted various facets of today’s society. Research has been particularly influenced by the surge of Internet-powered media.

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“Research elements such as data collection, literature review, data analysis, and intervention delivery have evolved over recent decades. The special issue of the Ianna Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies aims to explore how digital media and new technologies have altered research dynamics", he added. 

He outlined the special issue’s areas of interest, which include artificial intelligence and research in contemporary society, software and data analysis, digital media and intervention delivery, digital media and data collection, and digital media and communicating research findings.

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Verlumun further stated, “I have earned the title of Nigeria’s top communication scholar based on my publications in the Scopus SciVal author ranking of the top 500 scholars in Nigeria. I have held this position for the 2019-2022 and 2020-2023 ranking years.

SciVal, a research analytics tool from Elsevier, collects metrics from the Scopus dataset. It provides data on scholars’ research output and contributes to university rankings. It typically considers authors’ publications over the past four years. In Nigeria today, having a publication in Scopus-indexed journals is a notable accomplishment.”