Beall's List Shut Down? Librarian Jeffrey Beall's Blog Unpublished

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of librarian Jeffrey Beall's decision to unpublished his blog, which was known for listing predatory journals. Participants express concerns about the "International Journal of Quantum Foundations" and whether it qualifies as a predatory journal, alongside considerations of archiving Beall's list and the potential risks involved.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the status of the "International Journal of Quantum Foundations" and whether it is predatory, noting its absence from recognized databases like Thompson Reuters.
  • There is mention of the Internet Wayback Machine as a resource for accessing Beall's blog and the journal in question.
  • One participant expresses uncertainty about the journal's credibility, describing it as "iffy" and not being an expert in the field.
  • Another participant states that the journal is not acceptable according to their standards and emphasizes its classification as an "Open internet journal."
  • Concerns are raised about the potential risks of archiving Beall's list on the forum, with a suggestion that a "white" list may be more beneficial than a "black" list.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the "International Journal of Quantum Foundations" is not recognized by established standards, but there is no consensus on whether it is definitively predatory. The discussion about archiving Beall's list reveals differing opinions on the risks and benefits involved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of clarity on the criteria for what constitutes a predatory journal and the implications of Beall's unpublished blog on the ongoing evaluation of journals.

strangerep
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I just noticed this item in Nature.
Librarian Jeffrey Beall won’t say why he has unpublished his widely read blog.

I only found out because I noticed on the arxiv that a paper titled "Can the Many-Worlds-Interpretation be probed in Psychology?" had apparently been approved for publication in the "International Journal of Quantum Foundations", and I want to know whether this is a predatory journal.
 
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strangerep said:
I want to know whether this is a predatory journal.

How about the Internet Wayback Machine?
 
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I don't know if it is predatory, but "International Journal of Quantum Foundations" is not an acceptable journal per our standards, It does not appear in Thompson Reuters, so it cannot be discussed here.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
How about the Internet Wayback Machine?
Thanks -- yes it's still archived there. Latest useful cache date is 12-Jan 2017.

I didn't find mention of the IJQF, which claims to be a new kind on blog-like journal. Apparently it's published by Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Under its "submit" tab it says:

IJQF said:
Premier members of IJQF can publish papers in the journal for free. For other authors of accepted papers, paying article processing charge is mandatory. The charge is $500 USD for authors with grant funding and $250 USD for authors with no grant funding.
I'm not sure what to make of it. Sounds iffy to me, but I'm no expert in this sort of thing.
 
strangerep said:
Thanks -- yes it's still archived there. Latest useful cache date is 12-Jan 2017.

I didn't find mention of the IJQF, which claims to be a new kind on blog-like journal. Apparently it's published by Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Under its "submit" tab it says:

I'm not sure what to make of it. Sounds iffy to me, but I'm no expert in this sort of thing.
It's not acceptable here. It's not recognized by Thompson Reuters, it's an "Open internet journal".
 
Evo said:
It's not acceptable here. It's not recognized by Thompson Reuters, it's an "Open internet journal".
OK, thanks. (I wasn't proposing to discuss the content here -- it sounds like crackpottery to me.)
 
strangerep said:
OK, thanks. (I wasn't proposing to discuss the content here -- it sounds like crackpottery to me.)
I figured as much, it was just an FYI.

Sad that Beall's list is gone.
 
Why not archive it here on PF? Seems like a good thing to do.
 
dipole said:
Why not archive it here on PF? Seems like a good thing to do.
It would expose GregB to far too much risk and grief. In any case, old versions can be found on the Internet Wayback Machine as V50 suggested earlier. Also, it's unclear what Beall's future is. The article suggested he's going to join some other organization.

In any case, having a "white" list such as Thompson-Reuters, rather than a "black" list like Beall's, is probably better and more legally durable in the long term.
 

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