Illustration courtesy of Nature Leading scholars and publishers from The Ottawa Hospital’s Centre for Journalology, the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, and other institutions from around the world have agreed on a consensus definition of predatory publishing. Led by Drs. Agnes Grudniewicz, David Moher, Kelly Cobey, and Manoj Lalu, their commentary was published in Nature.
Predatory journals are a global threat to quality science that was largely unknown a decade ago. There are now an estimated 8,000 predatory journals collectively publishing more than 400,000 research studies each year.
One of the challenges of solving this problem was that there was no agreed-upon definition of predatory publications— until now.
At a recent international meeting in Ottawa, the team of experts reached this consensus definition: “Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.”
This definition will let researchers track predatory publishing, and develop educational resources and interventions to help fight this growing problem.
Local collaborators: Gregory L. Bryson, Samantha Cukier, Ian Graham, Marc Rodgers
Patient partners: Marvelous Muchenje, Laurie Proulx
Other authors: Kristiann Allen, Clare Ardern, Lesley Balcom, Tiago Barros, Monica Berger, Jairo Buitrago Ciro, Lucia Cugusi, Michael R. Donaldson, Matthias Egger, Matt Hodgkinson, Karim M. Khan, Mahlubi Mabizela, Andrea Manca, Katrin Milzow, Johann Mouton, Tom Olijhoek, Alexander Ommaya, Bhushan Patwardhan, Deborah Poff, Anna Severin, Michaela Strinzel, Mauro Sylos-Labini, Robyn Tamblyn, Marthie van Niekerk, Jelte M. Wicherts, Manoj M. Lalu
Source: Nature
Funding: The Summit received funding from the President’s fund, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, CIHR; Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, CIHR; National Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Swiss National Science Foundation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Office of Vice President of Research, University of Ottawa. Research at The Ottawa Hospital is possible because of generous donations to the hospital.
Core Resources: Ottawa Methods Centre, Centre for Journalology
The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.
University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca
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