As many readers will have noted last week, Cabells’ Predatory Reports database went over 20,000 journals listed for the first time. This is significant not just because that is a LOT of journals – with James Butcher asking if this might be as much as 20% of all published journals in his Journalology newsletter this week - but also because it represents fraud and deception … Continue reading 20,000 problems for researchers
20,000 reasons to love predatory reports
In August 2021, the number of journals included in the Cabells Predatory Reports database reached 15,000, and we declared at the time that it represented a ‘mountain to climb’ for many researchers, as other integrity issues were proliferating. Sadly, this mountain has only grown, with the number of predatory journals listed in Predatory Reports now … Continue reading 20,000 reasons to love predatory reports
Cabells’ Predatory Reports database hits 20,000 deceptive journals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BEAUMONT, TX: Cabells – a US-based information services company – now includes over 20,000 journals in its Predatory Reports database, with the unique resource growing by over 300% since its launch in 2017. After hitting the 10,000 mark in 2019 and 15,000 in 2021, a recent upgrade in the technology governing the … Continue reading Cabells’ Predatory Reports database hits 20,000 deceptive journals
Trust is Index-linked
The first indexes were found in books as early as the 16th Century, and the word itself comes from the Latin for ‘one who points out’ or an ‘indication’ - literally using the forefinger to draw attention to something. Inherent in this is the understanding that what is being pointed out is factual, whether it … Continue reading Trust is Index-linked
When Oxbridge Doesn’t Mean Oxbridge
For well over a century, the term ‘Oxbridge’ has been a useful abbreviation to indicate the two most prestigious universities in the UK. It has stood for the highest caliber of research, the brightest minds and absolute academic freedom. To be associated with Oxbridge is to have links with the very best that higher education … Continue reading When Oxbridge Doesn’t Mean Oxbridge
A Discussion with Professor Graham Kendall: Predatory Publishers, Ethics in Publishing, and More
In September 2024, Graham Kendall caused something of a stir when he ‘outed’ himself as the person behind @fake_journals, the popular Twitter/X account highlighting the problems caused by predatory journals. Cabells’ Simon Linacre – a research collaborator with Professor Kendall – asks him about his background and focus on publishing ethics, including why he chose … Continue reading A Discussion with Professor Graham Kendall: Predatory Publishers, Ethics in Publishing, and More
Understanding Predatory Journals: Spreading Misinformation and Disinformation
Since November of last year, our team has been contacted by the national public broadcasting networks of both Japan and Germany to provide information related to our work investigating and reporting on predatory journals. In both cases, the journalists were asking specifically about publications focused primarily not on generating profits, but rather on spreading misinformation … Continue reading Understanding Predatory Journals: Spreading Misinformation and Disinformation
Unmasking a Predator: predatoryreports.org
For some time now, Cabells has been aware of an organization, with no affiliation to Cabells whatsoever, operating under the name Predatory Reports and using the website domain “predatoryreports.org” – a clear infringement and brazen attempt to capitalize on our reputation and long-standing commitment to the research community. Despite the unethical and injurious hijacking of … Continue reading Unmasking a Predator: predatoryreports.org
The Predator Effect: Understanding the Past, Present and Future of Deceptive Academic Journals
During his time working at Cabells, predatory publishing practices turned into a near obsession for Simon Linacre - so much so, he wrote a book about it: The Predator Effect. Here he shares details of the book, and how predatory journals could form part of a publishing ethics crisis. In a recent conversation with a … Continue reading The Predator Effect: Understanding the Past, Present and Future of Deceptive Academic Journals
Update: A Journal Hijacking
Editor's Note: This is an updated version of an article originally posted in August, 2021. As members of our journal evaluation team work their way around the universe of academic and medical publications, one of the more brazen and egregious predatory publishing scams they encounter is the hijacked, or cloned, journal. One recent case of … Continue reading Update: A Journal Hijacking