Researchers’ Battle Vs. Predatory Journals

So after years of hard work, finally you’re done with your research. However, you know it doesn’t end there as your work needs to be published.

Add the fact that the number of a researcher’s publications and citations are major criteria in hiring and tenure.

Will you be in a hurry? How can you avoid being a predatory journal’s victim?

Predatory journals are defined as open-access publishing business model that involves charging huge publication fees to authors without providing the editorial and services associated with legitimate journals.

“Doing research doesn’t end in having the results and conclusions. It has to undergo a peer review before publication,” said National Scientist Mercedes Concepcion in a forum organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Since publication metrics such as the number of researchers’ publications and citations are major criteria in hiring and tenure, NAST said many become victims of predatory journals, and even predatory conferences.

“The incentives offered by universities for publications as well as participation in conferences have created market for predatory journals and conferences, whose primary goal is to make money, not academic scholarship,” NAST cited.

Fidel Nemenzo, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman vice chancellor for Research and Development, said predatory journals are called such because they prey on researchers who need points for their curriculum vitae.

“Predatory journal is a corruption of legitimate journals,” he emphasized, and also noted that predatory journals accept papers and ask for money, preying on academicians who are under pressure to produce publications for hiring and tenure.

Basically, one needs to be cautious in order to avoid being a predatory journal’s victim.

“If something looks fishy, then look with caution. Use your common sense, discuss with colleagues,” Nemenzo said.

Also, one needs to carefully spot the difference between hijacked journals and legitimate journals.

A hijacked journal is a legitimate academic journal for which a bogus website has been created by a malicious third party for the purpose of fraudulently offering academics the opportunity to rapidly publish their research online for a fee.

Glaring grammatical errors, fake addresses are among the things Nemenzo said one would spot in a hijacked journal.

Citing his personal experience, Nemenzo said he tried sending a paper to a conference. He used the name Zorro Angpangalanko from the University of Pila. “After two weeks, the paper was accepted,” he said, adding that it was a clear indication that it was an encounter with a predatory conference.

He shared that another researcher tried sending application using a photo of someone famous, and yet the researcher was accepted.

“We need to generate awareness on these practices; know which journals are legitimate and which are not,” Nemenzo said.

If a journal asks for money, does that mean it’s a predatory journal?

In an interview with the Philippines News Agency (PNA), Dr. Concepcion explained that currently, legitimate journals ask for donations.

Nemenzo mentioned during the forum that if the journal prominently displays the policy fees, it’s a legitimate one.

Concepcion said there is an increasing number of predatory journals and conferences both locally and globally. How does NAST deal with this problem?

“We have not dealt with the predatory (journals). What NAST has been doing is to build up local journals so that researchers can utilize these for their outputs,” she told PNA.

The national scientist added that NAST gives awards to outstanding papers, books and monographs. Moreover, NAST conducts training sessions for editors and researchers.

Are the papers published in predatory journals considered valid? “Their papers may be good,” Concepcion said, but those papers, however, will not be considered for the award. She explained that a research published in a predatory journal does not mean the research isn’t true.

One must also note that the appearance of predatory journals and conferences in curriculum vitae can be interpreted as academic fraud, according to NAST.

With regard to hijacked journals, Concepcion said the problem is that there is no authority where one could complain about it. “Who can pinpoint the person/people behind a hijacked journal?” she added.

Meanwhile, NAST emphasized that the harm from predatory journals is not only about financial losses, but also in terms of blighted reputations. (PNA) SCS/MCCA