Recently, the Hyderabad-based OMICS Group, which publishes over 700 journals, was in the news for its deceptive business practices.
The US-Federal Trade Commission charged OMICS with making false claims about peer reviewing and listing editors who have not agreed to be associated with the journals.
Jeffrey Beall, a librarian at the University of Colorado in Denver, first coined the term "predatory journals" and maintained a listing of predatory journals which was later taken down.
Cabell's International launched a revised version of the list called Cabell's Blacklist, which can be accessed for a fee at the company's website.
With over 4,000 predatory journals (according to Cabell's Blacklist), here are a few things to look out for and signs that give away a bogus journal.
A predatory journal is a publication that actively asks researchers for manuscripts.
They have no peer review system and no true editorial board and are often found to publish mediocre or even worthless papers.
They also ask for huge publication charges.
In research environments, there is usually more value for quantity over quality. Hiring and promotion of academics is based largely on their number of publications.
Predatory journals has helped many pseudo-researchers to prosper.
Harm Caused by Predatory Journals- Predatory and low-quality journals corrupt the literature.
- Medical science has been particularly hit hard, with journals now devoted to unscientific medicine. Peer review is at the heart of academic evaluation.
- Publishing without peer review [while pretending that peer review was done] gives poor and mediocre academics a chance for jobs and promotions which should go to better qualified researchers
