From: Jan Velterop <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2012 22:06:07 +0000 Isn't the emergence of all these new journals more like a Cambrian Explosion, precipitated by a fundamental change in the environment? Evolution will take care of it. The fittest for purpose will survive. The others will disappear. Jan Velterop On 9 Mar 2012, at 19:22, LIBLICENSE wrote: > From: Ina Smith <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 22:52:35 +0200 > > Dear all > > This matter came to our attention as well when one of your researchers > approached us for funding from our OA fund to publish in one of Mr > Beall's so-called predatory journals. I was in contact with DOAJ (the > journal in question was also listed there). According to DOAJ they > have their own set of criteria to include journal titles, and our > University regard DOAJ as the most authoritative list out there. > > The Bealls list unfortunately does not include real evidence. There > are more lists on predatory author-pays-publishers but they have > better evidence than Beall. > > According to DOAJ it did occur previously that they had to remove all > journals from a publisher after evidence of fraud. > > We have - in order to solve the request we had - started to compile > some criteria against which we measure the validity of an OA journal. > You are welcome to add/use/comment. > > I. Mandatory > > - The journal must have a proper web page and URL with the > following info e.g. Contact details, Editorial Team, Editorial Board, > Advisory Board, Scope and Focus, Peer Review Process (must be an > exhaustive peer review process), Publication Frequency, Open Access > Policy, Author Guidelines, About the Publisher, Previously published > issues (Archive) , Copyright policy (under the Creative Commons > Licensing policies > > - International editorial board > > - Valid online ISSN registered with the ISSN International > Centre (France) > > - Members of CrossRef with doi’s assigned to individual articles > > - Journal must have established a history of responsible > reporting (not always possible with “new” OA journals) > > - The journal must contain good quality articles detailing > well performed research > > II. Recommended > > - Listed on DOAJ (not all OA journals are listed on DOAJ > immediately, and there might be a slight time delay) > > - Publisher must be registered with OASPA > > - OA Policy of publisher must be available via SHERPA/RoMEO > > - Listed on Wikipedia as an academic journal > > - Digital preservation policy in place > > - Journal title must be listed with one of the following: > International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) > Science Citation Index > Social Sciences Citation Index > Arts and Humanities Citation Index > > - Journal impact factor assigned to the journal - Journal > Citation Reports - ISI (for impact factors) > > - Journal ranking is recommended - SCImago Journal > Ranking (Scopus) > > Kind regards > Ina Smith (Stellenbosch University, South Africa) > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > URL: http://library.sun.ac.za > > ________________________________________ > From: Jim O'Donnell <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 07:39:36 -0500 > > Yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education has a long piece on 'predatory > OA journals', with a focus on the work of a Colorado librarian who > monitors the business. > > Do list readers think this is a significant problem? A growing problem? > > http://chronicle.com/article/Predatory-Online-Journals/131047/?key=HD10d1VhNHdJbCsyZTgRMj4EOyFoZk0hYn9JPS8pbl9cEQ%3D%3D > > Extract: > > The practice of charging authors to have their work published is not > inherently problematic, said Jeffrey Beall, a librarian at the > University of Colorado at Denver, who tracks open-access publishers > that operate on an author-pays model. > > "There is nothing wrong with the model itself," Mr. Beall said, citing > author-pays publishers he considers to be legitimate, like the Public > Library of Science (PLoS). But, he said, because the author-pays > system features an inherent conflict of interest—publishers make more > money if they accept more articles—it is ripe for abuse. > > Such abuse is becoming more prevalent, Mr. Beall said. On his blog > Scholarly Open Access, he keeps a running list of what he calls > "predatory" open-access publishers. Mr. Beall said he uncovers one new > predatory journal or publishing company about every week, and his list > now totals more than 50 publishers and individual journals. > > Mr. Beall defines a "predatory" publisher as one whose main goal is to > generate profits rather than promote academic scholarship. Such > publishers, he said, "add little value to scholarship, pay little > attention to digital preservation, and operate using fly-by-night, > unsustainable business models." > > Jim O'Donnell > Georgetown U.