NY Times: Predatory Journals - Sting

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In summary, a recent sting operation exposed the issue of "predatory" open access journals, which publish fake articles and employ fake editors. This was inspired by a previous sting operation in which a flawed study was submitted to various journals, sparking international attention. The issue of fake publications and degrees is a growing concern in the academic community.
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New York Times article on open access journals, good and bad, and an academic sting operation with interesting results.
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A Scholarly Sting Operation Shines a Light on ‘Predatory’ Journals
By GINA KOLATA MARCH 22, 2017

The applicant’s nom de plume was not exactly subtle, if you know Polish. The middle initial and surname of the author, Anna O. Szust, mean “fraudster.” Her publications were fake and her degrees were fake. The book chapters she listed among her publications could not be found, but perhaps that should not have been a surprise because the book publishers were fake, too.

...article continues...

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/science/open-access-journals.html?_r=0

Of interest.

diogenesNY
 
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Here's the original news piece from Nature that the NY Times piece is summarizing: http://www.nature.com/news/predatory-journals-recruit-fake-editor-1.21662

The piece was inspired by a previous sting operation in which a journalist for Science sent a clearly flawed scientific study to various journals to see which ones would accept it: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6154/60
(popular press summary in case you cannot access the science piece: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2013/oct/04/open-access-journals-fake-paper)
 
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Interesting that it got international fame, in my my circles in Poland it got some attention - sadly, many people misunderstood it as proving the peer reviewed science is wrong.
 
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1. What are predatory journals?

Predatory journals are publications that claim to be legitimate academic journals, but in reality, they do not follow standard peer-review processes and instead prioritize profits over the quality of the research being published.

2. How do predatory journals operate?

Predatory journals typically lure researchers by offering quick publication with little to no peer review, charging high publication fees, and falsely claiming to be indexed in reputable databases. They also often use aggressive marketing tactics to attract submissions.

3. What is the impact of predatory journals on the scientific community?

Predatory journals can have a negative impact on the scientific community by publishing low-quality or even fake research, which can then be cited and used by other researchers, thus perpetuating false information. This can also undermine the credibility and integrity of legitimate scientific journals and research.

4. How can researchers avoid publishing in predatory journals?

Researchers can avoid publishing in predatory journals by carefully evaluating the legitimacy of a journal before submitting their work. This can include checking the journal's website, its indexing in reputable databases, and the experience and qualifications of its editorial board.

5. What is being done to address the issue of predatory journals?

Various initiatives have been taken to address the issue of predatory journals, including creating lists of suspected or known predatory journals, educating researchers on how to identify and avoid these journals, and encouraging reputable journals to adopt stricter guidelines and standards.

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