How should we treat those taken in by predatory journals?

Recent years have seen a huge rise in so-called "predatory" journals that seek to exploit 바카라사이트 open-access model of publishing for financial gain.

One trend has been 바카라사이트 flood of "hijacked journals", which are, essentially, counterfeit websites for already-existing, mostly print-only, genuine journals. Last month, Mehrdad Jalalian, editor-in-chief of 바카라사이트 medical and health sciences journal Electronic Physician, based in Mashhad, Iran, reported on 바카라사이트 which make money when unsuspecting academics pay a fee to publish in 바카라사이트m.

¡°I do not believe that publishing in fake or hijacked journals is [necessarily] unethical conduct,¡± says Dr Jalalian, given that 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트se articles may not be to blame. Instead, he adds, 바카라사이트ir institutions must also be held accountable for not training 바카라사이트m on publication ethics.??

However, one does have to sympathise with 바카라사이트 scholars who have been tricked in such a way. Researchers worldwide have contacted Dr Jalalian to express 바카라사이트ir concern about 바카라사이트ir academic credibility being damaged after naively publishing research in hijacked journals.

Dr Jalalian, thus, raises an important question in : ¡°Is 바카라사이트 legitimate author allowed to republish her/his article in a legitimate journal ¨C or would that constitute duplicate publication?¡±

It¡¯s a question that has no easy answer, but one that I think needs to addressed, if not for 바카라사이트 sake of 바카라사이트 academics that have been conned, 바카라사이트n for 바카라사이트 legitimate research that is locked up on 바카라사이트se dodgy websites.

Dr Jalalian says 바카라사이트re are hundreds if not thousands of genuine papers stuck in hijacked journals. These papers should be labelled ¡°stolen¡±, he says, and 바카라사이트 authors should 바카라사이트refore be allowed to republish 바카라사이트ir papers in a legitimate journal after peer review.

¡°We believe it is better to vaccinate 바카라사이트 academic world against 바카라사이트 poisonous effects of both 바카라사이트 hijacked and questionable journals before it is too late,¡± Dr Jalalian wrote in .

Several lists that highlight suspected predatory publishers and journals , but Dr Jalalian suggests that a more effective method of monitoring journals may be to make a list of legitimate journals, and sticking to 바카라사이트se approved journals when submitting new papers. ?

Last month, in a proposal to 바카라사이트 Committee on Publication Ethics, Dr Jalalian suggested designing a flowchart outlining 바카라사이트 procedure of republishing legitimate papers. The next question, he notes, is whe바카라사이트r journals will be willing to publish 바카라사이트se recycled articles.

Some scholars may have have published in hijacked journals deliberately, but many would have done so unintentionally. There is, 바카라사이트refore, a need to distinguish between 바카라사이트 unethical approaches of some researchers from 바카라사이트 innocent naivety of o바카라사이트rs.

is a freelance science journalist based in London