Researchers warned vs fake online journals

A University of the Philippines (UP) official has warned scientists and researchers against online “predatory journals” that may not only tarnish their credibility but also rob them of their hard-earned money.

In a recent forum sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Fidel Nemenzo, UP Diliman vice chancellor for research and development, noted the rising number of fake scientific journal websites that attract scientists to submit their work.

Upon submission, the websites would demand a publication fee ranging from $500 to $1,000, according to Judith Sablan, Philippine Journal of Science (PJS) managing editor.

“The problem with this is that research results published in predatory journals find themselves [incorporated] into research literature. Just imagine the ripple effect of this contamination of legitimate research by fraudulent research that are published in these journals which do not screen paper submissions,” Nemenzo said.

To avoid becoming a victim, he called on scientists and researchers to exercise due diligence and be on the lookout for red flags. Among these would be the website’s “high acceptance rate, faulty grammar, aggressive solicitation and rapid publication.”

In an interview, Sablan said scientists should protect themselves by submitting their work only to legitimate sites.

The PJS, Asia’s oldest scientific journal which is under the DOST’s Science and Technology Information Institute, publishes research studies for free, she said.

Websites like Beall’s list (www.scholarlyoa.com), Directory Open Access Journals (www.doaj.org), and Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (www.oaspa.org) offer a list of legitimate journals or can help identify dubious sites, Nemenzo said.