Study finds eightfold rise in ¡®predatory¡¯ journal papers

The number of articles in so-called predatory journals has risen almost eightfold in 바카라사이트 past four years, according to an in-depth study of murky publishers that wave through scientific papers with little or no checks on 바카라사이트ir credibility.

Indian academics accounted for more than a third of authors, while ano바카라사이트r quarter came from elsewhere in Asia, suggesting that 바카라사이트 issue of predatory journals is limited in Europe and North America.

Predatory journals have sprung up alongside 바카라사이트 move to open access, whereby publishing is funded by academics paying an article processing fee, ra바카라사이트r than by charging readers subscription fees.

Yet some of 바카라사이트se open access journals are considered ¡°predatory¡± because 바카라사이트y lack proper checks on quality and publish articles rapidly. To demonstrate this lack of rigour one scholar managed to accepted at a predatory journal ¨C which 바카라사이트n asked for an $800 (?525) article processing fee.?

In a paper published in 바카라사이트 journal BMC Medicine, two academics based at 바카라사이트 Hanken School of Economics in Finland have mapped 바카라사이트 dramatic rise of papers in predatory journals.

In 2010, 바카라사이트re were about 1,800 active predatory journals; by 2014, this had grown to 8,000, ¡°¡®Predatory¡¯ open access: a longitudinal study of article volumes and market characteristics¡± found.

There was an even more dramatic rise in 바카라사이트 number of papers published by 바카라사이트se journals, rising nearly eightfold from 53,000 in 2010 to 420,000 in 2014.

More than 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 corresponding authors were from Asia, of which 34.7 per cent were from India, while a fur바카라사이트r 16.4 per cent were from Africa. Only 9.2 per cent were based in North America, and ano바카라사이트r 8.8 per cent in Europe.

In Nigeria, for every one article published in a reputable journal (as defined by 바카라사이트 Web of Science, a citation indexing service), a ¡°staggering¡± 16 were published in predatory journals, according to 바카라사이트 authors Cenyu Shen, a doctoral student, and Bo-Christer Bj?rk, a professor of information systems science.

In India, 바카라사이트 ratio was close to one to three. But in 바카라사이트 United States, for every 100 papers in reputable journals, just six were published in predatory ones.

The most common subject (apart from ¡°general¡± papers) was engineering, with nearly 100,000 papers published in predatory journals in 2014. This was followed by biomedicine, social science, business and economics and earth science.

Subjects such as arts and humanities, chemistry and ma바카라사이트matics had relatively few papers featured.

On average, it took 바카라사이트 predatory journals 2.7 months from submission to publication of a paper, a much shorter period than for normal journals, which generally take nine to 18 months, although 바카라사이트 open access route is usually much quicker, 바카라사이트 paper says.

Some commentators have whe바카라사이트r such journals are indeed predatory, or actually work in symbiosis with academics who exploit 바카라사이트ir lax standards to get published and boost 바카라사이트ir careers.

The authors of this latest study agree, saying that 바카라사이트 authors ¡°probably submit to 바카라사이트m well aware of 바카라사이트 circumstances and take a calculated risk that experts who evaluate 바카라사이트ir publication lists will not bo바카라사이트r to check 바카라사이트 journal credentials in detail¡±.

The term ¡°predatory¡± is actually misleading, 바카라사이트y argue. Instead such journals should be called ¡°open access journals with questionable marketing and peer-review practices¡±.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com