I’m happy to add this to my list, sure.
I regularly receive emails from new open-access publishers asking me to add their publisher or journal to one of my lists.
My lists include publishers and standalone journals that I have found to be predatory or questionable in their practices, so it’s odd that a publisher would request inclusion.
I assume they do it because they are trying to promote their publications and just go through some list of websites, sending the same boilerplate email to all the email addresses on the list. In their rush to make money, predatory publishers typically pay little attention to important details.
I investigate each journal or publisher, finding that in most cases they merit inclusion on my list. I’m delighted to fulfill their requests, carefully archiving a copy of each email so that in a possible future lawsuit, I can say, “Hey, you ASKED to be placed on my list.”
Here is one such request I received on May 8, 2013:
Hello And Good Evening Mr. Jeffrey Beall,
My name is Samuel Rivero and i am working as a internee for International Journal of Biology, the reason why i am sending you this e-mail is because i was hoping that if you can add our Journal’s name on this page: http://scholarlyoa.com/individual-journals/
The aim of IJOBIO is to publish peer reviewed research and review articles in rapidly developing field of all biological research areas. This journal is an online journal having full access to the research and review paper. The journal aims to cover the latest outstanding developments in the field of all biological Research Areas specifically in the following branches.
Keep in mind we are a non-profit organization and we mostly provide Journal publication services to 3rd world countries. It’ll be a huge favor if you can add the name of our journal in the “Individual Journals” list.
URL of our journal: http://www.ijobio.com
Best Wishes,
Samuel Rivero
Upon investigating this standalone journal, I discovered deceit.
The journal uses the nickname International Journal of Bio, and most of the claims in the email are false.
The new journal has “published” four issues, but upon closer examination, it really hasn’t. It’s a ruse. Among the four issues, there are only six articles. At least some of them are copied from the former BioMed Central (BMC) journal called the Journal of Biology. In 2010, this journal merged with BMC Biology, and the merged journal is called BMC Biology.
Here’s an example:
- Article from bogus journal: Progress so far in genetic kin recognition among vertabrates
- Original article from BMC Biology: Making progress in genetic kin recognition among vertebrates
The publisher of the new journal has taken previously-published articles and edited them, changing some of the words, and published them as new original articles in the journal.
What a scam! I can’t figure out where this journal is based, and my reply email to “Samuel Rivero” bounced back. Do not submit to this journal. Be wary of all OA journals.
