The ASGLOS Study: A global survey on how predatory journals affect scientific practice

Area of Science:

• Scholarly communication
• Research integrity
• Academic publishing

Background:

• Predatory journals and conferences exploit financial motives, compromising scientific quality and exposure.
• The proliferation of predatory publishing poses an emerging threat to the scientific literature.
• Understanding the scope and impact of predatory practices across academic levels is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the characteristics, management, and consequences of predatory emails.
• To analyze the extent of predatory publishing issues at various academic levels.
• To gather physicians' personal experiences with predatory publishing via a global survey.

Main Methods:

• A Google Form survey was designed and distributed to collect data on predatory publishing experiences.
• Data collection occurred from September 2021 to April 2022.
• A total of 978 responses from physicians across 58 countries were analyzed.

Main Results:

• 64.8% of participants could identify predatory invitations after 3 or fewer emails.
• 11.5% of participants remained uncertain about distinguishing legitimate invitations from spam.
• The study confirmed the widespread problem of academic email spam from predatory entities.

Conclusions:

• The ASGLOS Study underscores the significant issue of academic email spam from predatory journals and conferences.
• Findings emphasize the necessity of providing career-focused advice and training to researchers.
• Increased awareness and education are vital to combat predatory publishing effectively.