What I learned from predatory publishers

Area of Science:

• Scholarly communication
• Publishing ethics
• Open access publishing

Background:

• Predatory publishers exploit the gold open access model, prioritizing revenue over rigorous peer review.
• Their proliferation was facilitated by the open-access movement, the scholarly publishing industry, and academic librarians.
• This paper provides a first-hand account of identifying and listing predatory publishers between 2012 and 2017.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the existence and tactics of predatory publishers.
• To analyze the factors enabling their growth.
• To assess the negative impact of predatory journals on scientific integrity.

Main Methods:

• First-hand account and personal research from 2012-2017.
• Identification and listing of predatory publishers.
• Analysis of predatory publishing tactics and their enabling factors.

Main Results:

• Predatory publishers generated revenue by foregoing proper peer review.
• Various stakeholders inadvertently supported the growth of predatory publishing.
• Predatory journals cause significant damage to the scientific landscape.

Conclusions:

• Predatory publishing poses a threat to scientific integrity.
• Understanding the enabling factors is crucial for combating predatory practices.
• The future of scholarly publishing requires addressing these ethical challenges.