Why you should care about the rise of fake journals and the bad science they publish
Earlier this year, the Conversation published an article about the increasing number of ‘fake journals’ by Graham Kendall, Professor of Computer Science and Provost/CEO/PVC, University of Nottingham.
The article can be seen under Resources
Dr Kendall explains that fake journals make their money by charging a publication fee to the authors – anything from £100 to £1,000 a paper. They separate researchers from their money with little, or nothing, in return. And exist to make a profit without having any commitment to the scientific process – even plagiarising papers that have already been published.
Publishing in these journals, can not only have a negative effect on an academic’s career, but it can also mean that the academic community, as well as the general public, could be duped – with any old results being printed. And if this work is then cited elsewhere, then the non-reviewed research could propagate even further, and might be accepted as fact.
He says that the scientific community needs to be vigilant against predatory journals. They add no value to the scientific record, and do not add anything to the CV of a scientist – it may even harm it. They are also taking money which could be used for more productive research. Read the whole article here