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!
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
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
20,000 problems for researchers
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
Anatomy of a Predatory Journal Email (Part 1)
I once attended a financial crime research conference and, at the gala dinner, found myself sitting next to the lead investigator in cybercrime from Nigeria. It was fascinating to hear some of the stories he had to share, including instances of tracking down the people who sent those seemingly now extinct emails purporting to be … Continue reading Anatomy of a Predatory Journal Email (Part 1)
A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing
There have been a number of studies in recent years about the awareness of predatory journals among researchers, which have had some troubling findings around perceived knowledge and actual knowledge of their activities. One study, for example, showed that while 87% of respondents to one survey said they were confident in identifying a predatory journal, … Continue reading A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing
When Academia Takes on Journalism… and Falls Short
This month has seen two articles published and garner significant attention on the predatory publishing phenomenon, highlighting many of the problems it creates for scholarly communications and society in general. Both articles are well argued, making interesting points and revealing core truths about predatory journals. So, what’s the problem? One of them is wrong. Not … Continue reading When Academia Takes on Journalism… and Falls Short
Remember Who the Bad Guys Are
Close followers of recent geopolitics will be forgiven for wondering if the good guys and bad guys of the traditional world order have been swapping sides. When a dictator who has invaded a country gets praised while some of the oldest democracies are attacked for their positions, it’s tempting to slap yourself about the face … Continue reading Remember Who the Bad Guys Are