Study of Predatory Open Access Nursing Journals

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify predatory journals in nursing, describe their characteristics and editorial standards, and document experiences of authors, peer reviewers, and editors affiliated with these journals. Design Using two sources that list predatory journals, the research team created a list of nursing journals. In Phase One, the team collected data on characteristics of predatory nursing journals such as types of articles published, article processing charge, and peer review process. In Phase Two, the team surveyed a sample of authors, reviewers, and editors to learn more about their experiences with their affiliated journals. Methods Data from the review of predatory nursing journals were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Written comments were summarized and categorized. Findings There were 140 predatory nursing journals from 75 publishers. Most journals were new, having been inaugurated in the past 1 to 2 years. One important finding was that many journals only published one or two volumes and then either ceased publishing or published fewer issues and articles after the first volume. Journal content varied widely, and some journals published content from dentistry and medicine, as well as nursing. Qualitative findings from the surveys confirmed previously published anecdotal evidence, including authors selecting journals based on spam emails and inability to halt publication of a manuscript, despite authors’ requests to do so. Conclusions Predatory journals exist in nursing and bring with them many of the “red flags” that have been noted in the literature, including lack of transparency about editorial processes and misleading information promoted on websites. The number of journals is high enough to warrant concern in the discipline about erosion of our scholarly literature. Clinical Relevance Nurses rely on the published literature to provide evidence for high‐quality, safe care that promotes optimal patient outcomes. Research published in journals that do not adhere to the highest standards of publishing excellence have the potential to compromise nursing scholarship and is an area of concern.

Predatory Publishing Is a Threat to Non-Mainstream Science

“…OMICS International published several nursing journals. Despite the declining number of articles per issue, and the closure of some journals after publishing 1 or 2 volumes, the number of predatory nursing journals has been increasing annually (29). …”

False gold: Safely navigating open access publishing to avoid predatory publishers and journals

“…Those who are desperate to have a paper accepted after several rejections are also vulnerable to the promise of publication by predatory publishers (Jones & McCullough, 2014;Shamseer et al, 2017). The risks posed by predatory publishers to the Gold OA process raise serious concerns for the quality of nursing and midwifery publications, as nurses and midwives are expected to contribute to and practice in a way that reflects current evidence-based research (Clark & Thompson, 2012;Oermann et al, 2016). Poor quality papers published without appropriate peer review have the potential to compromise scholarship in these disciplines (Clark & Thompson, 2016;Oermann et al, 2016), while information that is not very accessible (such as papers published in predatory journals) may impede the advancement of scientific evidence (Shamseer et al, 2017;Stone & Rossiter, 2015).…”

“…The risks posed by predatory publishers to the Gold OA process raise serious concerns for the quality of nursing and midwifery publications, as nurses and midwives are expected to contribute to and practice in a way that reflects current evidence-based research (Clark & Thompson, 2012;Oermann et al, 2016). Poor quality papers published without appropriate peer review have the potential to compromise scholarship in these disciplines (Clark & Thompson, 2016;Oermann et al, 2016), while information that is not very accessible (such as papers published in predatory journals) may impede the advancement of scientific evidence (Shamseer et al, 2017;Stone & Rossiter, 2015). Even high quality papers lack intellectual credibility if they are published in journals of dubious quality and reputation (Omobowale et al, 2014).…”

Predatory publishers: Implications for pharmacy practice and practitioners

“…A few other medical fields, such as nursing, have closely studied predatory publishing in their specialties. 4 …”