How do you choose the right journal? Some people might suggest this is an art rather than a science, only possible with years of publishing experience or a wide network of contacts of those at the top of a given field. Others might suggest that you can plan and execute a publication with near certainty, using data to proceed to a positive outcome. The truth, as with all … Continue reading Research? It’s a social enterprise
Accusations frozen in time: How Beall’s List still hurts publishers in 2026
A little-examined consequence of the predatory publishing phenomenon is the damage done to legitimate publishers that got swept up in it – not because they were truly predatory, but because they were listed alongside journals that were. Beall’s List, the well-intentioned and perhaps the most famous predatory publisher and journal list, has long been shuttered. … Continue reading Accusations frozen in time: How Beall’s List still hurts publishers in 2026
Hijack!
A question Cabells is often asked about the coverage of journals in its database products is, ‘How do you find out about them?’ This is not an easy question to answer, as there are so many reasons for a journal to come to our attention, for good or bad – editor recommendation, new launch, author … Continue reading Hijack!
Out of time
This week, hundreds of librarians, publishers, and vendors have congregated in the UK city of Glasgow to attend the annual UK Serials Group (UKSG). A fixture on the scholarly communications events circuit for many years, there was a clear sense this year that things are under strain, and a once vibrant industry is going through … Continue reading Out of time
Cabells launches white paper on optimizing journal decision-making at UKSG
BEAUMONT, TX: Cabells – a US-based information services company – has launched a white paper (available for download below) providing insights to researchers, librarians, and aligned professionals on how its Journalytics platform can optimize crucial decision-making. Working from prior research underlining the importance of decision-making when it comes to choosing the right journal for a … Continue reading Cabells launches white paper on optimizing journal decision-making at UKSG
Finding your compass
When US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld uttered his now-famous speech about what we know and don’t know in the early 2000s, it is fair to say there was a good deal of mockery. Not only did it sound extremely odd, it also didn’t seem to make sense initially. What on earth are ‘known unknowns’ … Continue reading Finding your compass
Look before you leap
Einstein defined madness as doing the same thing again and again while expecting a different result. Current world events may lend support to this particular theory, but it is certainly not a new phenomenon. Indeed, one of the wisest lessons for authors is more than 2,500 years old. Aesop was believed to have been a … Continue reading Look before you leap
Predatory journals: The view from Brazil
Global academic publishing can often be reminiscent of the tale of the black swan. In England in the 17th century, a ‘black swan’ was a metaphor for a rare or impossible event, that was until 1697 when Dutch explorers found black swans happily swimming around in what is now called Western Australia. The shock of … Continue reading Predatory journals: The view from Brazil
What’s in a name?
In 2016, an online poll was set up in the UK to name a new, multi-million-pound research vessel. Many good suggestions were made, but once ‘Boaty McBoatface’ was suggested online, it started to garner huge support and eventually won a third of all the votes cast. Embarassed, the UK government decided to call it the … Continue reading What’s in a name?
WASET of time
This week’s blog is based on an email Cabells received recently from an academic in Tunisia expressing their concern regarding a conference they had submitted papers to, and guidance on how to withdraw their submissions. This is a common situation that researchers find themselves in, and with the kind permission of Professor Chokri Ben Salah, … Continue reading WASET of time