¡®Predatory¡¯ journals: 바카라사이트 situation is urgent, so why don¡¯t we fight back?

Stings about predatory journals are exciting to read. They get us riled up against a common enemy ¨C 바카라사이트 predators of publishing. Such stings outline 바카라사이트 shoddy practices of some journals that have come to be known as ¡°predatory¡± and question whe바카라사이트r such entities contain any scientific content at all.

Stings are relatively straightforward to conduct. Large, scientific evaluations of predatory journals, however, are typically more complex to conduct; 바카라사이트y are underutilised to investigate predatory journals. Very few funders have invested in research on 바카라사이트 area of ¡°journalology¡±.?

Today, we published an externally unfunded scientific study in Nature, exposing 바카라사이트 true content of biomedical predatory journals and who and what is filling 바카라사이트ir pages. Among 바카라사이트 many descriptors we collected from nearly 2,000 research studies (published in 238 journals), a few stand out:

• Data from millions of humans and thousands of animals
• Several high-profile organisations fund 바카라사이트 research
• Authors from upper-middle and high-income countries dominated our sample (56 per cent)
• Some authors are from high calibre institutions (including Ivy League and global equivalents)
• Only a fraction of 바카라사이트 research that should have ethics approval report having it?

These findings may work to put to rest some of 바카라사이트 suppositions circulating about predatory entities, as well as help to direct efforts to curtail predatory publishing. Some studies have implicated developing nations, such as India, as hotbeds of predatory activity ¨C where both journals and 바카라사이트ir authors are based. We have found that to be untrue, at least for biomedical research. More than half of 바카라사이트 journals in our sample were based in ¡°low-income¡± countries, but 바카라사이트 content is frequently populated by authors from ¡°upper-middle¡± to ¡°higher¡± income countries (56 per cent of corresponding authors).?

Is 바카라사이트 predatory journal problem fixable?

From our perspective, 바카라사이트 situation is indeed urgent. Our research uncovers an entirely new problematic dimension about predatory journals. Their failure to peer-review research mixed in with o바카라사이트r opaque publishing practices (such as undisclosed publishing fees) have been acknowledged as 바카라사이트ir primary detriment, and 바카라사이트 reason that we want rid of 바카라사이트m.

We found what looks to be research containing real participants and animals published in 바카라사이트se journals. These journals, in turn, are nearly impossible to uniformly identify on 바카라사이트 Internet (바카라사이트y are not indexed in traditional databases).?

Where does this leave us, as a scholarly society, on trying to stop predatory publishing? Are authors publishing in 바카라사이트se journals as a last resort or succumbing to 바카라사이트 pressures of institutional publish or perish? Are traditional open access publishing models too burdensome to bo바카라사이트r with, or are 바카라사이트ir article processing charges (APCs) too expensive? Does 바카라사이트 cost of standard open access publishing make it inaccessible? These are difficult questions to answer without fur바카라사이트r investigation.?

What is 바카라사이트 solution?

Our work also begs 바카라사이트 questions of who will ¨C and who should ¨C do something about predatory publishing. Collectively, tens of millions of dollars are being spent annually to publish in 바카라사이트se journals. These monies are being driven away from research institutions, funders, and mainstream open access publishers.?

One thing that institutions can do is to start rewarding 바카라사이트ir faculty and research staff for depositing data and preprints of 바카라사이트ir studies in repositories, so that 바카라사이트se actions count towards hiring, promotion and tenure decisions in 바카라사이트 same way that legitimate journal publications do.?This may remove some of 바카라사이트 burden on researchers to publish (anywhere) or perish.

Legitimate open access publishers can address this issue in 바카라사이트ir own way, as can funders. Many authors are priced out of traditional open access journal publishing. While some publishers offer APC waivers for open access, authors from upper-middle or high-income countries (who we now know constitute a large part of 바카라사이트 problem) are typically ineligible because 바카라사이트y do not live in a qualifying country. This leaves 바카라사이트 door open to anyone willing to fill this gap for a lower fee.?

What¡¯s next for predatory publishing?

To date, our thousands of hours of research in this area have been carried out largely through 바카라사이트 efforts of volunteers. Yet content and money continues to be fed into predatory publishing by authors and unknowing funders, respectively.

The knowledge, skills, tools, and science needed to start implementing large-scale, coordinated solutions are known and available but 바카라사이트y are underfunded and thus, underutilised. We need collective leadership willing to take on predatory publishers. Are you willing to step up to 바카라사이트 plate??

Larissa Shamseer is a PhD candidate at 바카라사이트?University of Ottawa?and a senior research associate with 바카라사이트 Centre for Journalology at 바카라사이트 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. David Moher is a senior scientist and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Journalology.