4 october 2017 jan seal-roberts, publishing director,...

JanSeal-Roberts,PublishingDirector,Adis

PredatoryPublishers:what’snew?

MedComms Networking Eventwww.MedCommsNetworking.com4 October 2017

AdisMedicalPublishing|10/11/17 |2

WhoamI?

• JanSeal-Roberts- PublishingDirector,Adis(SpringerHealthcare)• PartofSpringerNature,publishing35journalsundertheAdisbanner-bothconventionalandopenaccess(OA)

• Webelievethatallscientificallysounddatashouldbepublished,butcarefullyadheretorigorouspeer-reviewprotocols,aimingtobeastransparentaspossibleinallourpublishingpractices

Disclaimer:thispresentationrepresentsmyownthoughts!


Aquickreminder:

‘Predatory’Publishers?Who/whatarethey?

Thosewhounprofessionallyexploittheauthor-paysmodelofOApublishingfortheirownprofit**JeffreyBeall (Academic LibrarianatUniversityofColoradoinDenver)

Thesearethe‘badguys’ofpublishing….

.


Howcommonispredatorypublishing?

• It’sbigbusiness!RevenuefromreputableOAjournalsin2015:approx.$244m*Revenueearnedbypredatorypublishersin2015:approx.$74m(i.e.30%!)*Estimated8000predatoryjournalsthattogetherpublish>400,000articlesperyear*Easytostartup– andthethreatcontinuestogrow…

Butwhat’sthebigproblemhere…..?Thesecompaniesaimtoattractarticle-processingchargesandotherrevenuesunderfalsepretences

Businessmodelisusuallyunsustainable– theytakethemoneyandrun.*Shen,C.&Björk,B.-C.BMCMed.13,230(2015).https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-015-0469-2


Authorsareduped,thinkingtheyaresubmittingtoareputablejournal

• Theyareoftenflatteredatoutset,butgenerallymisledbyfalseclaims

• Verylittlepeerreviewisoffered,ifany• SomecompaniessimplypockettheAPCsanddonotpublish• Otherswillpublish– butthereareoftenhiddencharges• Authorisnowhookedin– andpossiblytaintedbyassociation• Usuallytherearenochecksforplagiarism– soeveryoneisvulnerable• Oftennodigitalpreservation(whathappensifthejournalcloses?)northemeansofretraction(withoutafee)


Reviewersaremisled• Initiallyflatteredbutsoonfrustrated– wastedtime• Damagedreputationbyassociation• Predatorypublishersaretenacious!

KOLsareoftenmisrepresented• Oftenrecruitedviawide-scalespamming• Initiallyegosareflattered– buteveniftheyrefuse,theirnamesoftenincludedanyway

• Edboardsmaylookgood,butnamesareoftenincludedwithoutinvitation(oracceptance)

• Hardforindividualnamestoberemovedwithoutthreatof/recoursetolegalaction


Andreputablepublishersoftenfeeltarredbythesamebrush…• “You’reanOApublisher- youchargeAPCs.• Doesn’tthatmakeyouapredatorypublisher?”(Answer:no!)

Integrityofscientificscholarshipisslowlybeingundermined• Lackofrobustpeerreview• Whatcanyoutrust?• Ethicalissueofwastedtime,resources,animals– andpatients• Lackofdigitalpreservation


NatureComment6Sept17:DavidMoher,LarissaShamseer,KellyCobey etal.Stopthiswasteofpeople,animalsandmoney

• Characterised2000biomedicalarticlesfrom>200journalsthoughttobepredatory

• <10%ofstudiesclaimingtobeRCTsdescribedhowptswereallocated

• <25%notedwhetherptsandoutcomeassessorswereblinded

• Only3authorshadpreviouslytriedtosubmitelsewhere

Authors’conclusion:“Littleofthisworkwilladvancescience.Itistoododgily reported(andpossiblybadlyconducted)andtoohardtofind.”NatureVolume:549,Pages:23–25Datepublished:(07September 2017)DOI:

doi:10.1038/549023a


Sohowdowerecogniseapredatorypublisher?

Itcanbeveryhard!• Invitationseffusive– andoftenbroad(“writeonanythingyoulike!”)• ‘Falsefront’editorialoffices(e.g.W.CoastUS)• Journalnamesarefamiliarsounding– andyet…• Editorialboardoftenmissing(orodd-looking)• Nopropercontactnames/telnosgiven(orthesamenamerecursmanytimes)

• Emailaddressesarenon-professional(e.g.GoogleorHotmail)• Websitehaspoorgrammarandtypos• Implausibleclaimsmade,e.g.rejournalimpactfactors• Publishingcostsandtimelinesarealmostimpossiblycheap/fast• Nopoliciesgivenreretractionordigitalpreservation


Therearemanywell-knownexamplesofpredatorypublisherswhoareclearlykeensimplytopockettheAPC,irrespectiveofcontent!(NB:That’siftheynoticethecontent!)

(Sorryaboutthelanguage!)


Sowhatarereputablepublishersdoingtoaddressthis?

• Self-defence:onacase-by-casebasis– butit’snoteasy• Education:toinformandwarnabouttherisks

Butassoonasonecompanydisappears,anotheroftenreappears– possiblythesamepeoplemasqueradingunderadifferentname.Andthereareafewcompaniesthatoperateinagreyish‘twilight’zone…


Whois/wasJeffreyBeall?

• LibrarianatUniversityofColoradoinDenver• RanScholarlyOpenAccessandablogfrom2012toJan2017toidentifypublishersandOAjournalsheconsideredpredatory

• ‘Beall’s list‘– essentiallyaone-stopshop‘blacklistofbaddies’:

Dubiouscompanies Dodgystandalonejournals


WhathappenedtoJeffreyBeall?

• Beall’s blogandlistsweresuddenlytakendowninJanuary2017• Beall’s OpinionPieceinBiochemia Medica(2017)providessomebackground,sayingthatduringthe5yrsofhisblogandplatform:

• therequeststoremovejournalsandpublishersfromhisblacklistsincreasedinnumber– andbecamemoreintense

• somepeopleandcompaniesresortedtomorewide-scale,andoftenaggressive,strategies- morelatterlyviahisownuniversityofficials(whopresumablyweren’tpleased).

• EventuallyitseemsthatBeall simplyfeltthathehadtobackoff:

InJanuary2017,facingintensepressurefrommyemployer,theUniversityofColoradoDenver,andfearingformyjob,Ishutdowntheblogandremovedallitscontentfromtheblogplatform*

*JeffreyBeall.WhatIlearnedfrompredatorypublishers.Biochemia Medica2017;27(2):273-9.https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2017.029


Sowhatdowedonow?Thereareafewotheroptions:

• Beall’s listcontinues– fornow…• ThefinaliterationofBeall’s list(dated15Jan17)iscurrently(unofficially)stillavailable:http://beallslist.weebly.com/contact.html

• Thisisbeing‘preserved’bysomeonepreferringtoremainanonymous• Statedplanisto“keepthelistupdatedasmuchaspossible….(but)expectthelist'sapplicabilitytodiminishovertime.”


Cabell’s Blacklist

• Afairlynewblacklistthatismore’robust,consistentandcareful’• Criteriaforinclusiongiven• Ratingsaregivenatthejournallevel• GreatertransparencythanBeall’s list- butthisisacommercialproductrequiringapaidsubscription

• Butthiscouldbeausefulresourceforinstitutionsrequiringarobustresource


DirectoryofOpenAccessJournals(DOAJ)

DOAJ- https://doaj.org• Anindependentonline‘whitelist’directoryof‘qualityopenaccesspeer-reviewedjournals’

• Lists>10,000openaccessjournalsthatadheretohighstandardsandpeerreview.

• Fundingisviadonations- soistotallyfreetoaccess• Aims“tobetheone-stopshopforusersofopenaccessjournals”.


Whitelistsvsblacklists

• Isitbettertohaveablacklist(whicheveryoneavoidsbeingon)– orawhitelistof‘acceptablepublications’?

• Blacklistscanattractcontroversy

• Whitelistsaremorepositiveinreputation– butcanprovidefalsecredibilityto‘greyzone’journalsthatcurrentlylacksufficientevidencetojustifyremoval


“IthinkpredatorypublishersposethebiggestthreattosciencesincetheInquisition.Theythreatenresearchbyfailingtodemarcateauthenticsciencefrommethodologicallyunsoundscience,byallowingforcounterfeitscience,suchascomplementaryandalternativemedicine,toparadeasifitwereauthenticscience,andbyenablingthepublicationofactivistscience.“*

*JeffreyBeall.WhatIlearnedfrompredatorypublishers.Biochemia Medica2017;27(2):273-9.https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2017.029


Sohowdoesanauthoravoidbeingscammedbyapredatorypublisher?

Think.Check.Submit.- across-industryinitiativeledbyrepresentativesfromALPSP,DOAJ,INASP,ISSN,LIBER,OASPA,STM,UKSG,andindividualpublishers

http://thinkchecksubmit.org/check/


Think.Check.Submit.

Refertothislistforyourchosenjournaltocheckifitistrusted.• Doyouoryourcolleaguesknowthejournal?– Haveyoureadanyarticlesinthejournalbefore?– Isiteasytodiscoverthelatestpapersinthejournal?

• Canyoueasilyidentifyandcontactthepublisher?– Isthepublishernameclearlydisplayedonthejournalwebsite?– Canyoucontactthepublisherbytelephone,email,andpost?

• Isthejournalclearaboutthetypeofpeerreviewituses?• Arearticlesindexedinservicesthatyouuse?• Isitclearwhatfeeswillbecharged?– Doesthejournalsiteexplainwhatthesefeesareforandwhentheywillbecharged?



Andthere’smore…

• Doyourecognisetheeditorialboard?– Haveyouheardoftheeditorialboardmembers?– Dotheeditorialboardmentionthejournalontheirownwebsites?

• Isthepublisheramemberofarecognizedindustryinitiative?– DotheybelongtotheCommitteeonPublicationEthics(COPE) ?– Ifthejournalisopenaccess,isitlistedintheDirectoryofOpenAccessJournals(DOAJ) ?– Ifthejournalisopenaccess,doesthepublisherbelongtotheOpenAccessScholarlyPublishers’Association(OASPA) ?– IsthejournalhostedononeofINASP’sJournalsOnline platforms(forjournalspublishedinBangladesh,Nepal,SriLanka,CentralAmericaandMongolia)oronAfricanJournalsOnline (AJOL,forAfricanjournals)?– Isthepublisheramemberofanothertradeassociation?



Ifyoucananswer‘yes’tomostorallofthequestionsonthelist….

• Completethechecklistandsubmityourarticleonlyifyouarehappyyoucananswer‘yes’tomostorallofthequestions.

• Youneedtobeconfidentyourchosenjournalwillhaveasuitableprofileamongyourpeerstoenhanceyourreputationandyourchanceofgainingcitations.

• Publishingintherightjournalforyourresearchwillraiseyourprofessionalprofile,andhelpyouprogressinyourcareer.

• Yourpapershouldbeindexedorarchivedandbeeasilydiscoverable.• Youshouldexpectaprofessionalpublishingexperiencewhereyourworkisreviewedandedited.

• Onlythenshouldyousubmityourarticle.



Sowhywouldanyonestillchoosetosubmittoapredatoryjournal?

• Ignorantoftheirexistence?• Naïvetotherisks?• Justwantingacheapandeasyoption….?

Also,useoftheterm'predator'inthiscontexthasbeenquestioned:• arethesejournalsdeviousorinept?• andisitpossiblethatsomeauthorsaredeliberatelyseekinglow-baroptions…?


NatureComment6Sept17:DavidMoher,LarissaShamseer,KellyCobey etal.Stopthiswasteofpeople,animalsandmoney

• “Predatoryjournalshaveshoddyreporting- andincludepapersfromwealthynations”

• >50%ofcorrespondingauswerefromhigh- ormiddle-incomecountries

• Ofthe17%reportingafundingsource:theNIHwasthemostfrequentlynamedfunder

• US-basedausweresecondonlytoIndia• Only3oftherespondingauthorssaidtheyhadpreviouslysubmittedthearticleelsewhere

NatureVolume:549,Pages:23–25Datepublished:(07September 2017)DOI:doi:10.1038/549023a


NatureComment6Sept17:DavidMoher,LarissaShamseer,KellyCobey etal. Stopthiswasteofpeople,animalsandmoney

Somerecommendations:• Publishers,researchinstitutionsandfundersshouldissueclearwarningsagainstillegitimatepublishersandmakeclearrecommendations

• Fundersandresearchinstitutionsshouldprohibittheuseoffundstosupportpublicationsinpredatoryjournalpublicationsandensureresearchersaretrainedinselectingappropriatejournalswhensubmittingwork.

• Whenseekingpromotionorfunding,researchersshouldincludeadeclarationthattheirCVisfreeofpredatorypublications.

• Ethicscommitteesshouldensurethatresearchersworkwithinstitutionalresources,suchaslibrarians,toensuretheydonotsubmittoanyjournalswithoutreviewingevidence-basedcriteriaforavoidingthesetitles.

• “Ifnot,predatoryjournalswillcontinuetoerodetheintegrityofscientificscholarship.”

NatureVolume:549,Pages:23–25Datepublished:(07September 2017)DOI:doi:10.1038/549023a


Andfinally,awarningaboutPredatoryConferences…

Thesearebecomingincreasinglycommon– andhavebeenlinkedtocompaniesknowntobepredatorypublishers

• Conferencesappeartobescholarly,butaredesignedjusttoexploitandmakemoney

• Academicsareaskedtoattendandpresent– andpay!

• Conferencesusuallyhaveaverysimilarnametoanexistingmeeting– perhapsdifferingonlywiththeinclusionofacolonoradash

• Theseoftensetouttocombinebroadtopicsfromarangeofdisciplines,increasingameeting’sapparentrelevancetoalargenumberofpeople

• ManyarehostedinAsiancountries(e.g.Taiwan,Malaysia,Japan,Thailand,HongKong)– cansoundenticing

• However,meetingsarefoundtobethirdrateandacompletewasteoftime(e.g.headlinespeakersdonotturnup,andthereareoftenrelativelyfewattendees)

• Hotelsapparentlybookedandpaidforpriortodeparturehavenorecordofbookings

• Andoncebooked,thereisnoopportunityforcancellationorrefund…

Pleasespreadtheword!


Sometake-homemessages....

• MakesureyourstaffandclientscontinuetobeinformedandmadeawareoftheexistenceofpredatorypublishersintheOAjournalarena.

• Beawareofthedangersoflostdataanddamagedreputations,aswellastheriskofbeingassociatedwithdodgybed-fellowswhomaybechoosingthesejournalsfornon-ethicalreasons.

• Predatoryjournalsaregettinghardertospot– butifthewebsitelooksdodgy,itprobablyis!

• Donotbebeguiledbyseeingeditorialboardnamesthatyourecognise.Blurredheadshotspresentedinaninconsistentstylearelikelyindicatorsthatthesenamesmayhavebeenhijacked.

• Ifyouaren’tsure,checkoutDOAJ.MakesureyourclientsareawareoftheThink.Check.Submit checklist.http://thinkchecksubmit.org/check/

• Andfinally:warnyourclientstolookoutforpredatoryconferences.Theseareontheincrease,andareverylikelytobe(atbest)disappointing– andmayevenbecompletescams.


Thankyou!

JanSeal-Roberts

PublishingDirector,[email protected]

4 october 2017 jan seal-roberts, publishing director,...

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