Predatory & Unregulated: Journals, Publishers, and Participants
As per a recent report published in March 2023, India is now placed at world’s 4th position in research output and ranked 9th in citations. That is indeed a great news for a country with an ambition to become world's largest economy and a global hub of technological innovations. India can surely attain any goal it so desires! There is absolutely no doubt, but it may happen due to reasons other than this 'research output' that we're happy to see.
One may ask why would that be the case?
Well, the research conducted behind the 'research output' needs to be REAL..
Of-course it is 100% REAL: says every researcher who published, every journal who accepted the publication, and every institution who validated by accepting the publication of a research paper, or a patent, or book; as a part of research acumen, and performance assessment of the researcher.
Unfortunately, it is not real and unreal research effort won't be able to contribute to national progress, forget adding progress to the nation, it adds no real value to an individual's progress for their career progression.
As usual, the situation is a bit complex to explain, but here are a few bits to understand why this is a negative indication of a systemic implosion vs a positive explosion of innovation and real research.
Lack of Regulations and Poor Understanding of Quality Research
One of the primary contributors to the proliferation of predatory journals in the Indian scientific landscape is the lack of stringent regulations and virtual understanding of what a qualitative research effort entails.
Lets explore the understanding aspect of the problem first, consider the following sentences and try to remember where you heard these and recall who said this:
"You should publish a paper in a reputed journal"
"Everyone has published a paper in a reputed journal"
"All must publish research paper, patents, and book chapters"
"Its mandatory to publish at-least x-number of ______________ (papers, patents, chapters) by every ___________ (scholar, faculty, or student) as per research policy"
" Mr/Ms __________ have regularly published and have a very good research profile"
Do these statements sound familiar?
Maybe you could recall saying it yourself to a colleague or a dear fellow.
Everyone should or must do this 'mandatory research' is becoming a norm across institutions. Sure, there's nothing wrong in encouraging research, but first it should be understood that meaningful or impactful research happens either due to accident or curiosity, and rarely due to such mandates as it requires much more than just saying "do research" or "publish a paper".
This is like asking an aspiring sportsperson to just "win the Olympics" without providing conducive environment / resources, imparting necessary training, allowing skill development, development of discipline, understanding of techniques, and iterative routines of practice through hard work.
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Predatory Journal Predicament:
Predatory journals, a term coined by Jeffrey Beall, are publications that exploit the open-access model, collecting article processing charges and providing rapid publishing without proper peer-review processes. These journals often use misleading names, spam researchers, and lack credible review practices. Unlike reputable academic journals that adhere to rigorous standards, predatory journals exploit the absence of a robust regulatory framework.
In the absence of clear guidelines and oversight, predatory journals in India has manage to infiltrate the academic ecosystem, preying on researchers eager for publication opportunities. The unchecked growth of these journals poses a significant threat to the credibility of scientific research originating from India. Unfortunately, the institutions are either oblivious to the fact or do very little to curb such practices, as the numbers-race for rankings and accreditations has created undue pressure in the higher education market.
Without stringent regulations in place, there is a dearth of mechanisms to evaluate the legitimacy and quality of journals. This creates a fertile ground for predatory practices to flourish, as journals can operate with minimal scrutiny. Researchers, particularly those under pressure to publish for career advancement, may inadvertently or willfully fall victim to these journals due to the lack of clear criteria to distinguish reputable outlets from predatory ones.
Indian Research Progress, in hindsight:
While India's research outputs have grown steadily, studies indicate that it is also a major contributor to articles published in poor-quality predatory open-access journals. This duality raises questions about the quality of scientific publications emanating from the country, the answers can be found in the following:
Research Literacy Gap:
Pressure on Quantity Over Quality:
Institutional Practices and Incentives:
Limited Exposure to Rigorous Standards:
Identifying the Culprits:
Primarily, it is the second-tier academic institutes, state and central universities, but even national research institutes contribute to this surge in predatory publications such as IITs, NITs, Public Universities, and Private Universities; all are a shareholder in the success of the predatory journals and publishers. Private and government colleges, in particular, account for majority of such publications, highlighting a need for scrutiny in monitoring research practices.
Publication pressure among researchers and a lack of monitoring mechanisms are the major contributing factors to force submission of unfinished or made-up research work in poor-quality predatory journals. The pressure to publish for job security and promotions is further creating a culture where quantity often trumps quality.
Lastly, we may need an active role from concerned department under Ministry of Education, Government of India; to do some 'real research' on this issue and take corrective actions. Otherwise, despite India ranking 4th globally for research output, the country also holds an unfortunate distinction – being among the biggest contributors of poor-quality research thanks to the unregulated environment that lacks behind the nations we wish to surpass through research-led innovation and growth.
Disclaimer: This post aims to raise awareness about challenges in the scientific research domain. Any unintentional offense caused is sincerely regretted. The intent is to encourage constructive conversations and not to undermine any individual or institution. Reader discretion is advised.