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In a joint statement, three leading medical writing and publication planning organisations warn that predatory journals could damage the legitimacy of scientific publishing and undermine the quality, integrity, and reliability of published scientific research.<\/p>\n
The \u2018Joint Position Statement on Predatory Publishing<\/a>\u2019 from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA<\/a>), European Medical Writers Association (EMWA<\/a>), and International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP<\/a>) outlines the \u201cserious threat\u201d that predatory journals pose \u2013 both to researchers publishing the results of their work and to the peer-reviewed medical literature itself.<\/p>\n In a press release, the organisations highlight that, if not stopped, the ultimate result of predatory journals \u2013 which as defined in the statement, are those which subvert the peer-review publication system for the sole purpose of financial gain with little evident concern for ethical behaviour \u2013 will be to \u201charm\u201d scientific literature.<\/p>\n In seeking a resolution, the authors of the paper \u2013 published in Current Medical Research & Opinion<\/a><\/em> \u2013 call for all potential medical authors to carry out due diligence by examining the reputation of the publications to which they submit, and to send their work only to those journals that provide proper peer review and that genuinely seek to contribute to the scientific literature.<\/p>\n \u201cThe conscious and deliberate submission of manuscripts to predatory journals is not ethical,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cMedical writers and editors, as well as researchers, have a responsibility to evaluate the integrity, history, practices, and reputation of the journals to which their research is submitted.”<\/p>\n \u201cLegitimate research carried out with the best of intentions might be lost.”<\/p>\n \u201cDangers to authors also exist in that their reputations can be damaged as a result of having their work published in predatory journals or being unknowingly \u2018appointed\u2019 to their editorial boards. Furthermore, authors may find themselves trapped after submitting an article to a predatory journal. There is a potential risk that some journals might not return submitted manuscripts or will publish a submitted paper even after an author has protested.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement provides a key set of 11 identifiers, typical of predatory journals and their publishers. As well as providing a lack of information, and poorly made websites, these include:<\/p>\n Susan Krug, MS, CAE, Executive Director, AMWA states: \u201cAMWA recognises the serious threat that predatory publishing poses to medical and scientific literature. This position statement provides a call to action and offers guidance on how to identify and avoid predatory journals.\u201d<\/p>\n Barbara Grossman, President, EMWA, added: \u201cEMWA advises that authors should not submit manuscripts to predatory journals. This statement provides support for medical communicators as they share responsibility to carry out due diligence when preparing to contribute to scientific literature.\u201d<\/p>\n Robert J. Matheis, PhD, MA, President and CEO, ISMPP said: \u201cProfessional medical communicators and publication planners must be aware of the serious threat predatory publishing poses to scientific literature. ISMPP\u2019s participation in this joint position statement is part of our commitment to educating our members about predatory publishing and how to address this significant issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Leon Heward Mills, Managing Director, Researcher Services, at Taylor & Francis<\/a> (publisher of the article) added: \u201cWe have actively supported initiatives such as \u2018Think, Check, Submit<\/a>\u2019 over a number of years, providing researchers with the tools to identify journals which do not uphold the high standards of quality and integrity that their work deserves. We wholeheartedly welcome this statement, by three such respected organisations, and hope it will further support researchers in identifying and avoiding fraudulent publications.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n