Sometimes you just have to fight fire with fire . Scientist Anna O. Szust ( “ Anna , a Fraud ” in Polish ) convert 48 diary to offer her a job despite her fragile credentials — and the fact that she does n’t exist . The existent research worker behind the sting operation detailed their determination in the journalNature .
Researchers who do n’t publish their study peril lose term of office or financial support , but one-armed bandit in prestigious journals are incredibly competitory . This “ publish or perish ” authorisation has thus fuel two big problem in academe : an emphasis on flashy , attention - grabbing findings ; and an industry ofpredatory journalsthat take researcher ’ money in exchange for the hope of publishing .
A few year ago , a grouping of researchers in Poland became “ increasingly disturbed ” by the number of invitation they were capture to become editors at sketchy - sounding journals . “ It became clear that the problem was huge , ” they write , “ yet had not been empirically analyze . ”
To get the ballad of the predatory bring out landscape painting , the researchers fabricate a second - grade scientist with a passably obvious faux name . Anna O. Szust had a smorgasbord of disparate scientific interest , faux university degrees , and had author script chapter for publishers that do n’t exist .
Even with all this faux bagatelle on her C.V. , Dr. Fraud was still not qualified to edit a scientific journal — but that did n’t stop her from trying . The researchers write to 360 unlike publications—120 well-thought-of claim , 120 clear - access , and 120 surmise predatory publishers — ask if they ’d rent Dr. Fraud as an editor in chief .
More than one-half of the journal did n’t answer . Of those that did , all of the establish diary turned her down . But eight open - access code journals and 40 mistrust phony journals appointed her an editor . Some were open about the fact that the office was meaningless ; one journal reply , “ It ’s our joy to add together your name as editor in chief for this daybook with no responsibilities . ” Another noted that Fraud ’s cover letter said that she hop to attain a degree she already arrogate to have . But such a small-scale contingent did n’t stop that diary from extending a caper offer to her anyway .
Some of the journal “ revealed themselves to be even more freelance than we gestate , ” the authors write . They adjure Dr. Fraud to recruit more investigator who would pay up to publish . Several offer her a cut of the profits .
After the experiment ended , the literal researcher contacted the journal that had made job offers and told them all the truth . Six publication denied having ever accept Dr. Fraud in the first place . One jeopardize legal activity . At least 11 of the predatory titles are still using her name on their websites . Fraud even found herself heel as the editor in chief of a issue the researcher had never contacted .
“ It is difficult to predict the succeeding editorial career of Anna O. Szust , ” the writer write , but “ this rise of predatory journals imperil the quality of erudition . ”
