An Open-Access Publisher You Can See Through: Pyrex Journals

Cracked ?

One of the newest scholarly open-access publishers is Pyrex Journals. It launched recently with ten broad-scoped journals. And it has a twin.

Although the publisher’s “contact us” page does not list any physical location, it is easy to figure out that this publisher is based in Nigeria’s Delta State.

I’ve learned that it’s customary in Nigeria to give businesses salient, easy-to-remember names, so there are many Nigerian open-access publishers with unusual names. This practice doesn’t transfer well, for in the West we are accustomed to serious names for scholarly publishers.

A Pyrex beaker

As you know, Pyrex is a brand name for kitchen cookware and also for laboratory glassware. Perhaps this is one reason why the publisher is named Pyrex Journals. Despite its name, the publisher is not very transparent.

Donnish ?

Pyrex Journals has a twin: Donnish Journals. I am not sure what “Donnish” means, if anything.

Both publishers launched at about the same time. Both are spamming authors, sometimes soliciting manuscript submissions for both publishers in the same email. The spam emails are signed by “Prof. George MacGregor, Media Publicity,” but I think the name is made up.

More worrisome, both publishers launched with ten journals, and they are identical except for the publisher’s name which is incorporated into the journal titles, e.g.,

Pyrex Journal of Agricultural Research (PJAR)

Donnish Journal of Agricultural Research (DJAR)

I don’t understand why anyone would launch two open-access publishers with duplicative titles. Many Nigerian open-access publishers fail after a few months in operation, and I suspect these two will as well.

Hat tip: Dr. Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva

Appendix 1: Journals Published by Pyrex Journals as of 2014-11-06

1. Pyrex Journal of Agricultural Research (PJAR)
2. Pyrex Journal of Biomedical Research (PJBR)
3. Pyrex Journal of Business and Finance Management Research (PJBFMR)
4. Pyrex Journal of Educational Research and Reviews (PJERR)
5. Pyrex Journal of Engineering and Manufacturing Technology (PJEMT)
6. Pyrex Journal of Food Science and Technology (PJFST)
7. Pyrex Journal of Medicinal Plant Research (PJMPR)
8. Pyrex Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences (PJMMS)
9. Pyrex Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Research (PJMBR)
10. Pyrex Journal of Research in Environmental Studies (PJRES)

Appendix 2: Journals Published by Donnish Journals as of 2014-11-06

1. Donnish Journal of Agricultural Research (DJAR)
2. Donnish Journal of Biomedical Research (DJBR)
3. Donnish Journal of Business and Finance Management Research (DJBFMR)
4. Donnish Journal of Educational Research and Reviews (DJERR)
5. Donnish Journal of Engineering and Manufacturing Technology (DJEMT)
6. Donnish Journal of Food Science and Technology (DJFST)
7. Donnish Journal of Medicinal Plant Research (DJMPR)
8. Donnish Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences (DJMMS)
9. Donnish Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Research (DJMBR)
10. Donnish Journal of Research in Environmental Studies (DJRES)