Predatory Publishing—the Early Career Researcher’s View

Excerpt

The review by Yosef Mohammed-Azzam Zakout touches a crucial point, and predatory publishing is a rampant problem in academia today [1]. A substantial amount is known about how this model exploits scientists and researchers, particularly in developing nations, in the name of open access [2, 3]. As unfortunate as it is, a majority of early career researchers publishing in predatory journals are unaware of what it means. Students under pressure to publish their work fall prey to editorial houses that often spam users with emails about new journals and conferences. The journal names are a close match to “real” journals. To the unaccustomed eye, these differences are not easy to make out. Even as India looks to curb down on this menace [4, 5], one wonders what more can be done at a ground level. The consensus of a definition and the creation of an online portal reflect much needed and welcome initial steps [6]. However, as a young clinician-researcher, a few further suggestions can be offered. …