Differentiating predatory scholarship: best practices in scholarly publication

Abstract

Objective: The intent of this article is to define predatory publishing, identify the risks and costs associated with publishing scholarship with these types of organizations and to provide recommendations for best practices how a potential author can protect themselves against predatory organizations.

Methods: A thorough review of the literature concerning predatory publishing was conducted and gleaned for best practices along with the authors' experiences.

Key findings: Pharmacy scholars and researchers worldwide recognize the virtues of the open access (OA) publication system, which is intended to freely disseminate research electronically, stimulate innovation and improve access to scholarship. Both subscription-based and OA publication systems, however, have potential areas of conflicts, including coordination of the peer-review process and the potential for the publisher to capitalize on selling the commodity in a capitalistic society. The intent of OA is welcomed; however, publishers are still in a business and profits need to be made. It is by the exploitation of the model that has given rise to a small but growing subset known as predatory publishers.

Conclusions: Pharmacy researchers and clinicians alike need to be aware of predatory organizations, both publishers and meeting organizers, when seeking a venue to publish their own scholarly research. Additionally, this knowledge is critical when evaluating medical literature in providing direct patient care services to assure the best available evidence is utilized.

Keywords: open access; predatory; publication.