From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 25 May 2018 07:12:26 -0700 Several learned readers have advised that the domain name for the Journals Mafia website is in fact registered in Russia. Jim O'Donnell ASU On Thu, May 24, 2018 at 7:18 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Thu, 24 May 2018 17:03:51 -0700 > > I request the learned help of Liblicense-L readers to advise me > whether the following link constitutes (a) phishing, (b) a hilarious > parody of modern academic life, (c) a bald-faced central Asian attempt > to wring revenue out of the journals-publishing system, or (d) > evidence that I have finally lost my marbles. > > http://www.journals-mafia.com/?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjc18y&refsrc=email > > If I have it right, they're coming to journal editors/publishers with > a deal: let us be your exclusive agent (if you are low-ranking or > frankly predatory journal) recruiting articles from Russia, > Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, which they will pre-vet to assure highest > quality and whose authors they will charge a no doubt sturdy APC. If > you agree not to take other articles from those countries, they will > get you a steady supply and share the APC revenue with you -- with > money that they assure you is 'anonymous'. (Is that what we call > funneling?) If you are a high-ranking journal, they will supply you > one article per issue and will handle all the revisions you require > themselves. > > The site's author (I hesitate to say entrepreneur of a site that posts > photographs of Don Corleone and Scarface to illustrate their business > practices) sets out the goal clearly: "My goal is to monopolize > publication market of Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. All the > publications must go through my companies, through my journals or > partner journals." > > Jim O'Donnell > ASU