An Analysis of Solicitations From Predatory Journals in Ophthalmology

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Scientific Publishing
• Medical Research

Background:

• Predatory publishing is a growing concern in academia.
• Unsolicited emails from publishers can be deceptive.
• Maintaining the integrity of scientific literature is paramount.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics and trends of unsolicited emails received by ophthalmologists from potentially predatory publishers.
• To identify the prevalence of predatory publishing solicitations within the field of ophthalmology.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 14 ophthalmologists from diverse subspecialties and institutions.
• Participants collected and analyzed unsolicited emails received from publishers over a 30-day period in May 2021.
• Data included email content, publisher details, journal indexing (PubMed, Beall's List), and publication solicitations.

Main Results:

• A total of 1813 emails were received from 383 publishers and 696 journals.
• 80% of emails were solicitations for article submissions to open-access, pay-to-publish journals.
• Journals indexed on PubMed showed higher impact factors and fewer errors compared to those not indexed.

Conclusions:

• Frequent unsolicited requests to publish from predatory publishers pose a threat to scientific literature quality.
• Ophthalmologists should exercise caution and be aware of predatory publishing tactics.
• Vigilance is necessary to uphold the standards of academic publishing.