Publishers are offered hundreds of thousands of euros for magazines indexed by learned databases.Credit: Dave Whitney / Getty
Research -integrity analysts warn that “newspaper snatches” – companies that acquire learned journals of renowned publishers – transform legitimate titles into predatory and low quality publications with questionable practices.
In an analysis published on the Zenodo preparation repository in January1The researchers identified three dozen journals that were taken in this situation after being purchased by what they describe as a network of international companies recently established without experience in the publishing industry. The scopus learned database deleted the titles from its index after an investigation.
“We have found at least 36 journals, but we believe that there can be more,” explains the co-author of the Alberto Martín-Martín study, information scientist at the University of Granada in Spain. Nature was able to reach one of the companies named in the study, Oxbridge Publishing House, which disputes the allegations.
Recent Takeover
The titles were previously indexed by databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, and belonged to various institutions, including the Dutch publishing giant Elsevier; The university publisher Palgrave Macmillan, based in London; University of Indiana Northwest, in Gary, Indiana; And the University of São Paulo, Brazil. They go to the discipline of linguistics, psychology and criminology to biology and medicine. (Palgrave Macmillan belongs to Springer Nature, who also publishes Nature. NatureThe news team is independent of its publisher.)
Last scam of predatory publishers: Bootlegged and renamed items
The study by Martín -Martín describes how, in recent years, these journals have been acquired by various companies, notably Oxbridge Publishing House – A company registered in the United Kingdom in September 2022 – Another British company called Open Access Text, JCF Corp in Singapore and Intellectual Edge Consultcy in Malaysia.
According to emails evaluated by Martín-Martín and his co-author, Emilio Delgado López-Cózar, also a scientist of information in Granada, the publishers are offered hundreds of thousands of euros in exchange for each newspaper. “For small journals, it’s a very attractive offer,” explains Martín-Martín.
After the acquisition, the analysis revealed that a common trend appears through publications: journals introduce or raise accusations of processing articles – the costs of access to free access require for the publication of articles – and cause other studies. Many of these articles are outside the scope of the subjects covered by the newspaper before the acquisition.
These practices are generally associated with predatorywhere the dubious publishers cut the corners to generate low -quality or fraudulent search documents in exchange for high publication costs.
Property question
Most of the companies named in the analysis have not responded Nature Comments. David Radhor, director of relations at Oxbridge Publishing House, says that the company is “not an editor” and does not directly have all the titles of the pre-impression of Martín-Martín. (The study says that Oxbridge has common directors with some of the other companies and suggests that it is part of a network of linked companies that actively acquire journals.)
Radhor adds that for Oxbridge Publishing House journals, the company “was not involved in their editorial decision -making” and has no surveillance of the number of published articles, accusations of processing articles or authors who submit manuscripts. These decisions are made independently by the editorial committee of each newspaper, he said. “Our role is mainly operational, by focusing on production and formatting, publication and distribution, sales management and income, marketing and promotion, legal and compliance, and technology and infrastructure.”
What is the size of the false paper of science?
Nature also tried to contact the 36 journals listed in the study. Amjid Iqbal, editor -in -chief of American Journal of Health Behavior (Ajhb) In Los Angeles, California, says that his newspaper increased its publication costs (from US $ 1,595 to £ 2,000 depending on the study) due to inflation and because its sellers have increased their charges. He adds that all editorial decisions are made by the newspaper editorial committee. The study claims that payments Ajhb Authors based in the United States, Europe and the Middle East are managed by Oxbridge Publishing House, but Iqbal says that the newspaper has no relationship with the company.
Representatives of International newspaper of medicine and science of physical activity and sport And Artseduca refused to answer questions about their property and editorial surveillance. The remaining magazines did not respond to requests for comments.
In two other cases, researchers contacted by Nature said they had been falsely listed as editors on magazine websites.
“One of the problems of these companies is that when they buy newspapers, they are not very open on this subject, and in many cases, the newspapers give no information on this new owner,” said Martín-Martín. “They don’t even display the name of the new owner on the newspaper’s website.”