Jeffrey Beall’s Writing and Research on Scholarly Open-Access Publishing
1. Reviews in The Charleston Advisor:
- “Predatory” Open-Access Scholarly Publishers
- Bentham Open
- Five Scholarly Open Access Publishers
- Internet Scientific Publications
- Update: Predatory Open-Access Scholarly Publishers
- Five Predatory Mega-Journals: A Review
2. Opinion Pieces
- Predatory Publishers are Corrupting Open Access
- Predatory Publishing: Overzealous open-access advocates are creating an exploitative environment, threatening the credibility of scholarly publishing
- Predatory publishing is just one of the consequences of gold open access
3. Interviews
4. Quotations in newspaper and magazine articles
- On the Net, a scam of a most scholarly kind
- ‘Predatory’ Online Journals Lure Scholars Who Are Eager to Publish
- As Open Access Explodes, How to Tell the Good From the Bad and the Ugly?
- The Dark Side of Publishing
- Towson professor investigated over allegations of plagiarism
- Scientific Articles Accepted (Personal Checks, Too)
Last updated May 21, 2013
Thank you very much for your wonderfully helpful information.
I’m sorry if this is not the right place to leave a question. I wonder why Eurojournal is on the list. Some of its journals-e.g.European Journal of Social Sciences-are indexed by Scopus and SJRscimago. Isn’t that enough a guarantee that these journals have peer reviewers?
I was told by those who published in these journals that their papers were accepted so very easily though. They said they didn’t have to make any change.
Thank you very much again.
Well, you partially answered your own question.
Also, being indexed by Scoups (and covered by Scimago) is not really a measure of quality. These services are in competition with others, so they try to include more journals in their coverage. They whey they go to sell their products, they can say that they have a greater coverage than their competitors do.
Dear Mr. Beall,
I am one of the editorial board of Med J Indones. Our journal is now more than 20 years, but maybe not old enough for a journal. We used external reviewers, who are expert in the field to assess the content of the articles. We also have editors, who work hard to edit the articles. However, we have not succeeded yet to be listed in scopus and Pubmed. According to Scopus, our articles are weak. We are very sad to hear that.Therefore, in my opinion, a journal that is already listed in scopus must have a better quality than ours, apart from the fact that it charges the authors a lot.
If Scopus is really as you said:”they try to include more journals in their coverage”, why did Scopus refuse to list our journal? In my opinion, Scopus has a standard to be passed by the journals, and journals that are listed is Scopus have passed the standard.
The fact that the papers are easily accepted, it might be that the articles are of good quality.
Jeanne Adiwinata Pawitan
Thank you very much for your reply and explanation. It’s a great help.
How about this article about Bentham Online Publishing where you worked.
http://www.dailypaul.com/96081/bentham-publishing-exposed-for-the-frauds-they-are
Plz consider the evaluation of the journal “International Journal of Energy & Technology”
http://www.journal-enertech.eu/
According to your criteria along with my own experience, it is far more than a predatory
I see some problems with this journal. There is no real “contact us” page that gives information about who the publishers really are. I also found serious plagiarism in the first article I examined. The journal tries to make it look like it’s published in the EU, but I doubt that is really the case, and they are intransparent about to the true location. I will investigate further, thanks.
Hi
Mr. Jeffrey, What is your opinion about the International journal of research in computer science (ijorcs.org)? Please explain
It’s on my list. If you look at the journal’s main page, you see dozens of logos at the bottom, and the journals says at the top of them, “Indexed in.” This is a bad start, because most of them are services that do not index journal articles. It also claims affiliations, suspiciously, with universities such as Harvard and Cornell. The site has contradictory licensing information, having both copyright statements as well as CC BY statements. Indeed, the journal requires copyright transfer from authors but has CC BY licenses. The journal charges different APCs depending on nationality. It claims to be an “international” journal but the editorial board and papers are dominated by Indians. Other blogs have found problems as well. See: http://fakejournalss.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/www-ijorcs-org-white-globe-publications-is-blacklisted-by-most-universities-worldwide/
–Jeffrey
Hi
Mr.Jeffrey seems to suspect journal of International Journal of Electronics Communication and Computer Technology(http://www.ijecct.org), And should be entered in the blacklist. What is your opinion about it?
I see problems with this journal. For example, the article in the journal entitled, “Area Efficient and A High Bit Rate Serial-Serial Multiplier With On-the-Fly Accumulation by Asynchronous Counters” located here: http://www.ijecct.org/v2n6/(312-316)0206M39.pdf is largely copied from the article “AN EFFICIENT BIT RATE PERFORMANCE OF SERIAL-SERIAL MULTIPLIER WITH 1′S ASYNCHRONOUS COUNTER” located here: http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1vvb9/IJAETVOLUME3ISSUE1FU/resources/458.htm
Note that the abstract in both articles is the same; the title has been changed in the later article.
hi Mr. Jeerey, have a nice time,,,,,,
could you please help me to recognize this two journals, because i got something amazing shared with them,
i got this paper((Foundation of Vortex Gravitation, Cosmology and Cosmogony Abstract)).Sergey Orlov in IJET(http://www.iet-journals.org/) in October 2011 issue??? and at the same time you publish it at IJST(http://journalofsciences-technology.org/) IN VOLUME 1 January2012!!!
please as soon as you got my emmil.
kind regards
Yes, this appears to be a type of duplicate publication, except that in the second case, we see the article in the second journal’s table of contents but don’t see the actual content.
Also, the author appears to have self-published the article as a book, and it’s available on Amazon.
one more help please regarding the International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Technology (ISSN : 2277-1581).
how reality is?
regards
I am unable to access their website.
This journal is on my list: http://wp.me/P280Ch-J
Therefore, I recommend against serving on their editorial board, submitting papers, etc.
thank you so much Dr. Jeffrey
for your early and helpful reply, but which journal is in your list? for http://ijset.com/ijset/ i have checked carefully and did not find it, that is why i asked about.
please try to reply me as soon as still 2 days of deadline submission.
if you do not mind, through your experience could you please help us of giving Scopus or ISI good journals which is not very hard of publication.
your cooperation and concern are highly appreciated in advance
best regards
No, that journal is currently not on my list. This is the first I’ve heard of it. I will analyze it.
If you have excellent, innovative and influential research, then it is easy to publish in any ISI or Scopus journal.
i am really confusing
i have check Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences which is in your list? in fact the journal has Strange information!!! which is located in Pakistan and all staff from Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran and Egypt, and most more stranger is the contact information is in Amman, Jordan, and the more hard to understand is remain covered by Scopus till this moment!!!!!!!
It’s possible that they claim to have their content indexed in Scopus when in fact Scopus has never even heard of the journal. Don’t believe what you read on some publisher’s websites.
yes Dr. Jeffrey i am agree with you, but the problem i have checked this journal in Scopus website with ISSN:1991-8178
and i saw it is indexed?
I will be adding IJSET to my list regardless of whether it’s indexed in Scopus. My criteria are not the same as theirs.
Jeff would you please to inform us about Human Resources Management Research published by Scientific and Academic Publishing? Thank you
I recommend that researchers avoid all journals published by Scientific and Academic Publishing, the aptly-named, SAP.
SAP is a new publisher, so it is fair I think that there are some journals published by this publisher are still in a growing phase? Moreover, how is the status of your analysis with regard to the official standard imposed by some institutions?
Dear Jeff,
Thank you for your informative blog. I think I stumbled into another predatory journal.
International Journal of Education and Research
http://www.ijern.com/Aim-and-Scope.php
Many things do not add up.
1.The journal covers social sciences to environmental science to business to almost anything..
2. By the look of their CVs, Editorial Board Members are not really qualified to review a wide rang of topics the journal is to publish..
3, Contemporary Research Center, Australia (http://www.crcenter.info/) which has no contact information is purported to publish the above journal. By the way, we normally spell the word, “Centre” in Australia (just as they do in Canada.)
4. Chief Editor: Dr Gary Genosko is listed as Professor of Education, Victoria University, Australia. I happened to work at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia (there is only one in Australia) and has no record of a Dr Genosko ever worked here.
5. The journal editorial office address is 103 Carrington Street, Adelaide SA 5000. Google map ground view shows an ordinary semi-detached house in this address. No signage.
6. Is the journal named deliberately as it is very similar to a well known established journal – International Journal of Educational Research?
7. The journal publishes over 20 articles each month. The deadline for submission is only 30 days before and peer-review is conducted.
Thank you for this information and for your excellent analysis. I also did an analysis and have decided to add the publisher CRC Australia, to my list. Much appreciated.
Sage Open covers pretty much everything. But AFAIK, they are legit. Thoughts?
Yes, I believe that SAGE is a very fine scholarly publisher.
Dear Sir, I have recently seen that you put “international journal of applied linguistics and English Literature” on your list. May I know why? You mean it is not a respected and prestigious journal?? Is it a fake one?
Thanks,
Mohammad
Iran
That journal has been on my list for a long time. I recommend avoiding this journal and all the other journals from the publisher.
I have published a lot in few of these journals , which are based in india , as i had to send money through western union to india as publication charges, i feel really dejected at the moment as i regarded these as fair publications , does having published in these journals have an impact on my profile as a researcher?
Yes, this is possible.
Pleade also let me know about AJOL journals? and anout African journal of pharmacy and pharmacology please?
AJOL is really mostly an aggregator of others’ content.
SO AJOL is also predatory and i sho
uld not publish with them? and thanks a million for your worthy research on predatory journals!
No, I didn’t say that AJOL is predatory. It’s an aggregator — it collects content from publishers and helps make it more accessible. In terms of predatory it’s N/A because it’s not really a publisher.
Jeffrey,
Can you please let me know if Libertas Academica is or was in your list? I just published a paper there and the review process did not appear abnormal. I was even contacted by the editor of the journal. My concern is that my science is NIH funded and wonder whether NIH will publish the article in PubMed Central as the journal is normally not appearing in PubMed.
No this publisher is not on my list. Sorry, I don’t know about their relationship with PMC.
I presented a paper at a professional conference and several months later (a few days ago) received an e-mail from Lauren Jackson, Production Editor for Taylor and Francis, LLC, asking for my permission to allow for free publication of the paper in an on-line journal titled “VPPS Perspectives on Political Science.” There was no identification of an editorial board, but an address was provided for Taylor and Francis, LLC: 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. I gave my permission, granting T&F an “assignment of copyright.” Receiving no request for making any stylistic corrections or revisions, I was immediately informed that the paper “is currently in production” and that, although not required, I could provide for Open Access, and that this “service [would] require registration with Rightslink and payment of a fee.” Although this journal title is not listed among your suspect-journals and II am not interested in granting any further permission to Taylor and Francis, LLC, I am curious whether this journal has previously been called to your attention and, if so, your opinion of it.
Is the journal claiming to be peer-reviewed? Did you agree to this publication, perhaps without realizing it, when you registered for the conference? I have not received any inquires about this journal before. It appears this is a hybrid (OA and non-OA mixed together) journal. This is common. Most choose not to pay the fee, so the paper will be behind a paywall.
Dear Jeff,
My PI recently recieved an invitation to write a chapter for Functional Food Science Textbook. You could actually find this “Call for contribution” at http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Looking-Contributors-Functional-Food-Science-36409.S.226589774
I was not able to find to much useful information about the editor “Danik M. Martirosyan, PhD” and when I browsed their website (www.functionalfoodscenter.net), there seems to be something wrong, but I just can not put my finger on it.
Would you please have a look at it and let me know your opinion of it?
Thank you very much.
Hello Jeff,is the International journal for humanity and social science(IJHSS) a reputable journal for scientific publications.
Thank you
Whenever possible, I list by publisher rather than by individual journal. In this case, the publisher is Centre for Promoting Ideas (CPI), USA, and that publisher is indeed on the list. Thanks.
Hi
Mr. Jeffrey International journal of research in computer science (ijorcs.org) is removed from your list. What is the reason?
It is included on the “independent journals” list because it does not publish under the banner of a publisher. That list is here: http://scholarlyoa.com/individual-journals/
Hi
Mr. Jeffrey on the link below there is a long list of non-accredited journals from the perspective of a university in my country. Please check them out and add to your list.
http://kntu.ac.ir/DorsaPax/userfiles/file/science/namotabar.pdf
Thanks
Hi All,
I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the collection of journals “acedemic Journals”:
http://www.academicjournals.org
i am a graduate student and fear that i may have made a mistake submitting an article to one of the biology journals run by this organization. has anyone heard bad things about this organization?
[...] Diario Médico se hace eco del Blog Scholarly Open Access de Jeffrey Beall que alerta del crecimiento de editoriales que cobran a los autores importantes [...]
Dear Sweet Beall!
What you will comment about a journal if it is listed in IET’S INSPEC. I came to know that INSPEC is a most respectable directory and covered by Thomson Reuters. I contacted TR and they told me that their selection criteria is very strict and once a journal is registered by INSPEC it would soon indexed in TR without the special scrutiny as for non-INSPEC journals. What is your comment about the journal listed in INSPEC, is their any chance of predatory journal in INSPEC?
Would you share a copy of the email Thomson Reuters sent you? I’d like to see it before answering.
Oh ohhhhh, I deleted that email few days ago, Alash! however i have that link stored in my browser given by TR in that email, please look at this: http://wokinfo.com/products_tools/specialized/inspec/
Hope you can make an assessment based on your experience.
I’d like to pass on the question, then.
I have applied for editorial board membership in a US based journal, after evaluation which took almost one month, they replied me with this text:
==========================
Dear candidate,
Upon successful review of your CV editor has decided to accept your application on the condition that you have to resign from all predatory journals in which you are currently listed. Please find the list of journals here: http://scholarlyoa.com/.
This action is essential in order to join this journal as per our policy to protect our and your reputation. Reply within one day if you agree with the condition…………………………….
===========================
Dear Blog operator…. I am a senior level professor having double doctorate. I surely felt my insult just because of your this blog. Journals are refusing a person having 2 doctoral degrees and 25 years of experience. Why you are doing this????
Before I can give a good answer, I need to know the following: What is your real name? The name you give here, Lonel Frakele gets zero hits in Google. For which journals do you already serve on the editorial board? What is the journal whose editorial board you are applying to get on? Thanks.