#PredatoryPublishing

open-access.network

@openaccessnetwork.bsky.social

2 days ago

Forscherin schaut auf einen Computerbildschirm mit einem Selbstlernkurs-Modul auf der Anzeige.

Neuer Selbstlernkurs: Predatory Journals erkennen und vermeiden

▪️unseriöse Journals erkennen
▪️Prüftools & Checklisten kennenlernen
▪️Hilfestellungen erhalten

Save the Date
📅 Offene Sprechstunde: 4. Mai, 14–15 Uhr

🔗 service.tib.eu/toern/course...

#OpenAccess #PredatoryPublishing #OpenScience

Cabells

@cabells.com

1 week ago

From Boaty McBoatface to “predatory journals,” names tend to stick - especially when they capture a real problem. In our latest blog, Simon Linacre explores why attempts to rebrand #PredatoryPublishing may miss the mark and why clarity still matters in research integrity.

#PredatoryJournals

Cabells

@cabells.com

1 month ago

20,000 Problems for Researchers As many readers will have noted last week, Cabells’ Predatory Reports database went over 20,000 journals listed for the first time. This is significant not just because that is a LOT of journals – with James Butcher asking if this might be as much as 20% of all published journals in his Journalology newsletter this week - but also because it represents fraud and deception on such a broad scale. 

#PredatoryPublishing just crossed a troubling milestone: 20,000+ journals included in Cabells’ Predatory Reports.

Our latest blog details what’s behind the growth, how evolving tactics (including AI) are shaping our updated criteria, and why rigor still matters.

#AcademicPubliishing

ZB MED - Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften

@zbmed.bsky.social

1 month ago

📣 Save the Date

Am 29.4.2026 um 12:30 Uhr spricht Jasmin Schmitz im BW-CAR LunchLab über „Unseriöse Praktiken im wissenschaftlichen Publikationswesen und wie Forschende darauf reagieren können“.

📎 Mehr Infos & Anmeldung:
eveeno.com/149045218

#Wissenschaft #Publizieren #PredatoryPublishing

Sophien Kamoun

@kamounlab.bsky.social

1 month ago

Predatory vibes from @pensoft.net — click a link to decline a review and you’re forced to create an account—purely to pump user metrics.

Declining a review should not require registration. Commercially driven #predatorypublishing plain and simple.

#sciencecrisis

Thomas Kesteman🦠🧫🔬🌏

@tomk.eurosky.social

2 months ago

2 similar announces "call for paper", same image, logo, etc on Bluesky by user "Dr Papiy..." - profile picture blurred, handle deleted - above: "journal or rare cardiovascular diseases (JRCD) - below: "journal of cular dise carcinogenesis"

This looks like genuine, indeed 🙄
#ResearchIntegrity #PredatoryPublisher #PredatoryPublishing #PaperMills

polecopub

@polecopub.bsky.social

3 months ago

Predatory journal invitation to publish there because of my "exceptional work in education research"

Of course, I have never worked in "education research". Judging by how they acknowledge my research topics, I have no doubts about their #peerreview quality #predatorypublishing #researchintegrity

Graham Kendall

@grahamkendall.bsky.social

3 months ago

I asked a Large Language Model, #LLM, to generate a SWOT (Strengths , Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis for #PredatoryPublishing. I asked it to look at it s if it was a predatory publisher. Here is what it said.

Graham Kendall

@grahamkendall.bsky.social

3 months ago

I asked a Large Language Model, #LLM, to generate a SWOT (Strengths , Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis for #PredatoryPublishing. I asked it to look at it s if it was a librarian. Here is what it said.

Fachportal Pädagogik

@fachportalpaedagogik.eduresearch.social.ap.brid.gy

3 months ago

Der Neurologe und Hirnforscher Bernhard A. Sabel (links) ist Professor für Medizinische Psychologie an der Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg und Gründer der gemeinnützigen Sciii gGmbH. Der frühere Vorsitzende des Deutschen Hochschulverbandes in Sachsen-Anhalt engagiert sich seit Jahren gegen Wissenschaftsbetrug und Fake-Publikationen. Neben ihm steht Mitinitiator Dan Larhammar. Der Zellbiologe war zwischen 2018 und 2022 Präsident der Königlich Schwedischen Akademie der Wissenschaften und kämpft ebenfalls gegen wissenschaftliche Desinformation. Foto: Patrik Lundin.

"Die größte wissenschaftliche Krise aller Zeiten"
Internationale Forscher warnen in der #StockholmDeclaration vor dem Zusammenbruch des Wissenfundaments moderner Gesellschaften – und fordern Reform des wissenschaftlichen Publizierens. Interview im […]

[Original post on eduresearch.social]

dbelveze

@dbelveze.mamot.fr.ap.brid.gy

4 months ago

Bonjour, je prépare une formation pour les doctorant.e.s sur les éditeurs prédateurs, intitulée "the grey zone" pour penser un peu plus loin que le binaire predatory/legitimate ; est-ce que quelqu'un pourrait me donner accès à cet article de Nature […]

Flo 🤖

@nucli.de

4 months ago

Alte Weisheit im Wissenschaftszirkus: Wenn du dein Paper nirgends durchs Review bekommst - bei mpdi geht das. (Vorausgesetzt man ist bereit, die Publikationsgebühr zu bezahlen)
#PredatoryPublishing
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDPI

Andi Siess

@medardus.bsky.social

4 months ago

Evaluating the visual design of science publications—a quantitative approach comparing legitimate and predatory journal papers - Scientometrics The rise of predatory publishing poses a significant challenge to the integrity of scientific research, potentially undermining the credibility of scholarly communications. As parts of the academic co...

My research regarding #predatorypublishing was featured in a German and a Brasilian journal. Quite interesting how different the reporting is!
My paper: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
German: www.laborjournal.de/editorials/3...
Brasilian: revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/olhar-envies...

Serhii Nazarovets

@serhiinazarovets.bsky.social

5 months ago

APCs and citation impact of Gold OA articles authored by Ukrainian scholars before and during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine (2020-2023) https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.08850

A new preprint on Ukrainian publications in Gold Open Access has a very telling Figure 12. And you know what? It’s a total disaster. arxiv.org/abs/2508.08850 #OpenAccess #PredatoryPublishing #Ukraine #Science #APC #GoldOA #ScholarlyCommunication #AcademicIntegrity

World Conferences on Research Integrity

@wcrifoundation.bsky.social

5 months ago

Study sheds light on journalists’ knowledge of predatory journals - The Journalist's Resource In-depth interviews with health and science journalists reveal that most believed predatory journals are a problem for their peers, or a problem in theory, but not a problem they would ever fall for t...

Study sheds light on journalists’ knowledge of predatory journals

#ScienceNews #Journalist #PredatoryPublishing #AcademicPublishing #WCRI2026 #WCRI

journalistsresource.org/home/study-s...

Olivier Bastien

@bass42.bsky.social

5 months ago

Ce matin, j'ai encore reçu un mail de l'éditrice d'un journal spécialisé dans les opérations chirurgicales du cœur me disant qu'elle attend ma prochaine soumission.

J'hésite à lui dire que je manque encore de pratique, ou que j'attends le 21 mars pour me faire la main...

#ESR #PredatoryPublishing

Cabells

@cabells.com

5 months ago

When Academia Takes on Journalism… and Falls Short This month has seen two articles published and garner significant attention on the predatory publishing phenomenon, highlighting many of the problems it creates for scholarly communications and society in general. Both articles are well argued, making interesting points and revealing core truths about predatory journals. So, what’s the problem? One of them is wrong. Not fundamentally, heinously wrong at all, but with errors that, in different ways, undermine its efforts to place a spotlight on predatory publishing practices.

Two recent articles on #PredatoryPublishing landed with very different impacts. While both aimed to spotlight the dangers of deceptive journals, only one got the story right. Our newest blog unpacks the missteps, clears up misconceptions, and shows why accuracy matters for #ResearchIntegrity

Dr Nazlin Bhimani

@nazlinbhimani.bsky.social

6 months ago

Guest post: In the name of Scopus, one hijacked journal easily tricks authors Mahmood Anwar Editor’s note: Mahmood Anwar is a former business management professor of the National Research University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In the course of his research, he keeps an eye out …

Retraction Watch: the gift that keeps on giving. Thanks to Mahmood Anwar's investigative work, this case of a hijacked journal makes a perfect study example for my #IOE-IDL course. retractionwatch.com/2025/09/03/g... #predatorypublishing #researchintegrity

v_i_o_l_a

@v-i-o-l-a.openbiblio.social.ap.brid.gy

6 months ago

Searching for a Suitable Journal? Check Here First. Cabell’s Journalytics and Predatory Reports helps researchers—and the librarians who support them—find appropriate venues for publication and avoid those known to exhibit predatory behaviors.

eine einschätzung von "#Cabell’s Journalytics and Predatory Reports" im Katina Magazine: katinamagazine.org/content/article/resource...
#publishing #misconduct #predatorypublishing

Predatory Journals

@predatoryjournals.org

6 months ago

🔥
#ResearchIntegrity
#TrustInScience
#AcademicTwitter
#AIforScience
#OpenScience
#FakeJournals
#PredatoryPublishing
#AIethics
#ResponsibleAI
#FutureOfScience
#AIforGood

Shahan Ali Memon

@shahanmemon.bsky.social

6 months ago

***Limited Offer***

Who wants to be a "citation partner" and boost their citations?

#PredatoryPublishing #SciSci #Metascience #MetaSci

Thomas Kesteman🦠🧫🔬🌏

@tomk.eurosky.social

6 months ago

Poke @fabricefrank.bsky.social @lonnibesancon.bsky.social
@univ-amu.fr.web.brid.gy @gazlacrymo.fr @acermendax.bsky.social @lfoiry.bsky.social

#ResearchIntegrity #PaperMills #PredatoryPublisher #PredatoryPublishing #MDPI

Thomas Kesteman🦠🧫🔬🌏

@tomk.eurosky.social

6 months ago

Poke @fabricefrank.bsky.social @lonnibesancon.bsky.social
@univ-amu.fr.web.brid.gy

#ResearchIntegrity #PaperMills #PredatoryPublisher #PredatoryPublishing #MDPI

Thomas Kesteman🦠🧫🔬🌏

@tomk.eurosky.social

6 months ago

Poke @fabricefrank.bsky.social @lonnibesancon.bsky.social
@univ-amu.fr.web.brid.gy

#ResearchIntegrity #PaperMills #PredatoryPublisher #PredatoryPublishing #MDPI

Nils Petras

@nilspetras.bsky.social

6 months ago

Lucky you! #academia #scam #predatorypublishing

Cabells

@cabells.com

6 months ago

Predators Lurk Closer to Home There is an assumption held by many that predatory journals are a problem that only affects other people. A bit like a tropical disease or rare syndrome, it is something that is known to afflict others, but not you, your family, or your friends and colleagues. In the case of predatory publishing practices, this might be something we think only happens to other researchers outside the US or Europe. 

New research shows US faculty are widely targeted by predatory journals and awareness often comes only AFTER publishing experience. Education & training must do more. Read our latest blog for more on this important study. #AcademicPublishing #PredatoryPublishing

Graham Kendall

@grahamkendall.bsky.social

7 months ago

RT @fake_journals: I have been fortunate enough to publish three articles on the work of Jeffrey Beall. If you are interested in #PredatoryPublishing and/or the work of Beall, please take a look.

Kendall, G. (2021) Beall's legacy in the battle against predatory publishers. Learned Publishing,

Graham Kendall

@grahamkendall.bsky.social

7 months ago

RT @mohd_alamr: SHOCKING: @Scopus finally removed Journal of Neonatal Surgery after @DOAJplus's January delisting - but only after indexing 157 MORE questionable papers since my original alert.
How many more predatory journals slip through? #AcademicTwitter #PredatoryPublishing

Graham Kendall

@grahamkendall.bsky.social

7 months ago

RT @CabellsPublish: SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES: why #PredatoryPublishing is here to stay t.co/PPCVOzSwB3 via @fake_journals and written by Simon Linacre, who "reviews [books] to see what a better understanding of predatory #publishing practices means for #scholarly communications."

v_i_o_l_a

@v-i-o-l-a.openbiblio.social.ap.brid.gy

7 months ago

on predatory academic journals and conferences I’m often asked about predatory journals. So I recently went on a hunt for something other than lists and found a 2022 report on predatory journals and conferences from the InterAcademy Partnership. OK it’s not 2025, but it’s still well worth looking at. The IAP is a global network of over 140 science, engineering, and medical academies that work together to address the world’s most challenging problems using the best available scientific evidence. Think of it as an umbrella organisation that brings together prestigious national academies from around the world. I read their report so you don’t have to – although I do suggest you do. The IAP report suggests that predatory publishing has evolved from a marginal problem into a global crisis threatening the integrity of academic research. Rather than simple scams targeting naive researchers, researchers face a complex spectrum of behaviours ranging from outright fraud to questionable practices even by established publishers. These behaviours include pay-to-publish/present models without peer review, fake editorial boards listing respected academics, fraudulent impact factors, journal and conference names deceptively similar to those of legitimate ones, and spam invitations to sham conferences with high registration fees. The scale of the problem is staggering. The report suggests that over 15,500 predatory journals exist worldwide, with some evidence suggesting that predatory conferences may outnumber legitimate ones. IAP’s global survey of over 1,800 researchers revealed that nearly a quarter had either published in predatory outlets or weren’t sure if they had. If the percentages hold when scaled up, this translates to over 1.2 million researchers worldwide! The report offers a “spectrum approach” to replace a simplistic “good” versus “bad” judgement . At one end are fraudulent journals that steal identities and commit outright deception. The middle ground includes low-quality outlets with inadequate peer review, while the other end encompasses established journals adopting questionable practices like rapid publication promises or pay-to-publish models that prioritise profit over scholarship. The IAP survey revealed devastating personal impacts on researchers who discovered they’d been scammed. The report contains stories of careers derailed, reputations damaged, and years of work lost. Some researchers described feeling shame and professional isolation after unknowingly publishing in predatory venues. The problem is of course not evenly distributed. The survey found that researchers in South Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa expressed significantly more concern about predatory practices than their counterparts in the EU and North America. The report identifies three systemic drivers fuelling the growth of predatory practices: * the commercialisation of academic publishing which has created perverse incentives where profit often trumps scholarly integrity. The “author-pays” model of open access, while well-intentioned, has become particularly vulnerable to exploitation by predatory actors who promise rapid publication for lower fees. * contemporary research evaluation systems that emphasise quantity over quality create enormous pressure on researchers to publish frequently. A “publish or perish” culture, combined with metrics-based assessment systems, essentially feeds the predatory publishing machine. When career advancement depends on publication counts rather than research quality, researchers become vulnerable to outlets promising easy acceptance. * weaknesses in the peer review system that enable predatory practices to flourish. The IAP report argues that the traditional closed peer review process, designed to minimise bias, ironically provides cover for fraudulent journals to claim rigorous review while conducting little or none. Meanwhile, legitimate peer reviewers are overworked and increasingly reluctant to serve, creating capacity shortages that make corner-cutting attractive. The IAP also found evidence that predatory practices are becoming institutionalised. Some researchers knowingly use these outlets to meet publication requirements, while institutions sometimes turn a blind eye or even profit by hosting predatory conferences. This practice threatens to fundamentally corrupt academic ethics. According to the report current interventions such as blacklists, checklists, and institutional policies are helpful but remain insufficient. These strategies struggle to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated predatory operations and fail to address underlying systemic problems. The report argues for more fundamental reforms, including transparent peer review, responsible research assessment, and alternative economic models for scholarly publishing. The IAP recommendations include better training for researchers and institutional support. IAP say that: universities must reform evaluation criteria to emphasize quality over quantity; funders should support alternative publishing models and penalise predatory practices; and international organizations should coordinate global responses, potentially including UNESCO-led initiatives to establish minimum publishing standards. The report also proposes that publishers need to explore less profit-driven approaches- as if! **Implications for Doctoral and Early Career Researchers** If you’re beginning your academic career, this report shows you’re particularly vulnerable to predatory practices, not because you’re naive, but because the system creates unique pressures during your formative professional years. The pressure to build your publication record for job applications, thesis requirements, or career advancement can make predatory outlets seem attractive. When you’re facing rejection from established journals, a predatory venue promising rapid acceptance might feel possible. However, the report makes clear that falling prey to these practices can have devastating long-term consequences for your career. The good news is that awareness is your primary defence. Unlike earlier generations of academics who had to learn about predatory practices through painful experience, you have some tools and knowledge to protect yourself. Think Check Submit is a helpful tool. Check it out if you don’t know it. The IAP report’s spectrum criteria gives you a more sophisticated framework for evaluating publishing opportunities than simple blacklists. The Rising Scholars website also has relevant resources. And you should expect your institution to provide proper training on scholarly publishing ethics and predatory practices. If such training doesn’t exist, ask for it. The report also stresses that supervisors and mentors should guide you through these challenges, but they may of course lack adequate knowledge themselves. So don’t hesitate to seek multiple opinions when evaluating publishing opportunities. If your PhD programme requires publications and/or you’re in a job market that over-emphasises publication count, you can’t single-handedly reform these systems. But you can make choices that position you for longer-term success rather than short-term gains. Building a smaller portfolio of quality publications will ultimately serve you better than padding your CV with questionable outlets. Selection and promotion panels are likely to recognise dodgy outlets. The momentum for responsible research assessment may mean that the evaluation criteria you’ll face throughout your career increasingly values quality, impact, and diverse forms of scholarly contribution rather than simple publication counts. This kind of shift would reduce the incentives that drive researchers toward predatory practices. New models of open science, alternative peer review systems, and innovative publishing platforms may offer you pathways that align better with your values and career goals than traditional approaches. And you can contribute to ethical peer review, support initiatives for transparent evaluation processes, and help build the academic culture you want to be part of. As well, why not consider becoming an advocate for change within your field? As an early career researcher you often have fresh perspectives on systemic problems as well as fewer entrenched interests. Finally, it’s important to remember that falling victim to predatory practices reflects systemic failures, not any personal shortcomings. The researchers sharing their painful experiences in the IAP report weren’t careless or incompetent. Like all of us, they were navigating a complex system designed to exploit the very dedication and ambition that brought them to academia. Your awareness of these challenges, combined with the kind of institutional reforms the report advocates, point to a more secure and ethical foundation for your scholarly career. Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash You can retrospectively attend the IAP research report launch here: ### Share this: * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to print (Opens in new window) Print * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket * Like Loading...

"on predatory academic journals and conferences" patthomson.net/2025/07/16/on-predatory-...
#predatorypublishing #academicpublishing #researchassessment