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