A virtual event sponsored by the Academy of EducationScholars.
Session Description: Predatory publishing has become an increasing problem over the past decade. The open access publishing model was originally designed to remove paywall barriers for readers and thus increase the reach and accessibility of research. An unintended consequence of the open-access publishing movement was the rise of opportunistic publishers who saw an opportunity to take advantage of the “author pays” open access model to make a profit, and predatory publishing was born.
The general lack of awareness about predatory publishers among authors leaves authors at risk of harming their reputations by publishing their research in questionable journals. Early career researchers learning how to navigate the publishing landscape are often targeted by predatory publishers, making them more at risk of falling into the trap of publishing in a predatory or questionable journal. Authors can avoid the pitfalls of predatory publishing by learning how to spot the signs of questionable publishers and using their knowledge and available tools to investigate journals before submitting a manuscript for publication. Once a manuscript has been submitted and accepted, it’s often too late to take action. Avoiding submitting a manuscript to a predatory or questionable publisher in the first place is the most important step in avoiding having your research published in a predatory journal!
In this talk, Librarian Ruth Bueter will explore what predatory publishing is, compare and contrast the qualities of reputable and predatory journals, identify red flags and tactics used by predatory publishers, and provide helpful tools to empower authors to identify predatory publishers before submitting a manuscript for publication.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Compare and contrast the qualities of reputable and predatory publishers.
- Identify the red flags of predatory publishing.
- Evaluate publisher websites and email communications to identify predatory publishers.
Presenter: Ruth Bueter, MSLS, Associate Director, Library Operations, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
Ruth Bueter, MLIS, is the Associate Director of Library Operations of GW’s Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library where she coordinates collections, cataloging, resource sharing, the institutional repository, and library systems and technology. Ruth has been working in libraries for 16 years. She earned her Master’s in Library and Information Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2012 and her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Toledo in 2002. Ruth joined Himmelfarb Library in 2015 as a reference librarian and began managing Himmelfarb’s journal collection as Serials Librarian in 2016. In her role as Serials Librarian, she became fascinated with predatory publishing and has been educating authors about the dangers of predatory and questionable publishers ever since. Ruth’s scholarly interests include predatory publishing, scholarly communications and publishing, information literacy, open access publishing, electronic resource management, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the library profession.