Is that a real scientific journal? Look carefully

[jtbell]

Is that a "real" scientific journal? Look carefully!

Article in today's New York Times about the increasing number of open-access scientific journals, some or many of which have questionable legitimacy:

Scientific Articles Accepted (Personal Checks, Too)

 

[Evo]

Article in today's New York Times about the increasing number of open-access scientific journals, some or many of which have questionable legitimacy:

Scientific Articles Accepted (Personal Checks, Too)

Good article jt!

 

[Ben Niehoff]

I get emails about every other week from various fake journals about a "call for papers". A big tipoff is when they address me as Professor. lol

 

[Mentalist]

I never trusted open access journals outside of arxiv. I usually go through aps as I was able to obtain free subscriptions to research papers because of my student status etcetera. Otherwise, google scholar is a good tool to use for your research as well as readcube that compiles a bunch of credible research articles related to certain topics that you would like to know more about.

I use readcube more often than any other engine as I tend to get more information if I go that route. All in all, I'd tread along the "open-access" a bit carefully.

 

[LudusRex]

As a scientist, it is important to carefully evaluate the credibility of any scientific journal before considering it to be a reliable source of information. This includes open-access journals, which have become increasingly common in recent years.

While some open-access journals are reputable and follow rigorous peer-review processes, others may have questionable legitimacy. It is important to thoroughly examine the journal's website, editorial board, publication policies, and other factors to determine its credibility.

In this case, the fact that the New York Times is reporting on the issue of questionable open-access journals is a red flag. It is important to look carefully at the journal in question and its practices to determine if it meets the standards of a legitimate scientific journal. Personal checks being accepted for publication fees is also a concerning factor, as it may indicate a lack of proper peer-review and editorial processes.

Ultimately, as scientists, it is our responsibility to critically evaluate the sources of information we use in our work. This includes carefully examining the credibility of scientific journals, regardless of whether they are open-access or traditional subscription-based.