Stop paying predatory publishers of academic journals-A policy proposal to restore scientific integrity and...

Scientific publishing is undergoing a systemic breakdown. Thousands of journals now collect article processing charges (APCs)-increasingly paid from public research funds-while providing minimal editorial oversight. This erodes standards, distorts incentives and threatens public trust in science. APC payments to six major publishers exceeded 8 billion dollars between 2019 and 2023, with almost no transparency over how these fees are set or spent. This cannot continue. We propose that public and institutional funds support journals-whether through APCs, subscriptions or bundled agreements-only where they are accredited against a transparent, enforceable quality standard. Implemented in stages and led by funding bodies and learned societies, such accreditation would narrow the space in which predatory journals operate without resorting to blacklists.