Hi, David,
Thanks for a timely and useful post on predatory publishing.
Just a couple of quick notes — I’m travelling in Switzerland and Itlay for PhD presentations at ETH Zürich and Politecnico di Milano.
As Fil Salustri noted in his response to you, Jeffrey Beall’s list is updated on a regular basis. One way to get the greatest advantage of Beall’s work is to go in through the front page to read the additional material. And is is important to recognise that Beall publishes two lists — one for individual, standalone journals, and one for publishers with many journals.
https://scholarlyoa.com
You asked two deep and significant question: (1) “With the growth in online journals, a common question in PhD student communities is around which journals I should publish in, and how can I tell a predatory journal from a serious one?”, and (2) “there are wider issues of students being adequately integrated with the community of scholars and therefore gaining good advice. There are similar issues with conferences.” You also raised a the issue of pay walls and open access for everything — it’s an important yet somewhat different issue.
While several of us have addressed these questions over the years, the posts tend to be scattered and occasional. These posts often respond to a CFP from a questionable journal or conference.
The situation is trickier still because some questionable journals have developed business models that imitate the features of serious journals or conferences. The problem is also compounded by the fact that some online publishers also produce online books and e-books, also available through print-on-demand. This suggests a trifecta of academic opportunities — and as with bets at gambling establishments, most punters lose.
The problem is not that the journals are online and open access. The problem is that few organisations can afford to make the kinds of investments that are necessary if one is to publish an online, open access journal that meets serious publishing standards. The investment is massive. Only three design journals have this kind of support. One is the International Journal of Design was the first, with significant funding from the Chinese Institute of Design, the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and Taiwan's National Science Council. The second is the oldest journal in our field, Visible Language. Now published by the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, all past content is open access following a one-year embargo period. The third is She Ji. The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation. It is published by Tongji University.
As an advisor to IDJ and Visible Language, I know how much planing, work, and effort these kinds of journals take. As editor-in-chief of She Ji, I also know how much they cost. Only a university, a government agency, or a major foundation can publish a journal at a serious level of quality. Even at that, we hide many of the true costs under other budget posts. An editor’s salary is disguised by the fact that the editor is paid as a professor. Associate editors and copy editors are supported by other universities in the same way, with deans, vice presidents, and deputy vice chancellors signing off on the costs because they recognise the benefits to the field and to their universities.
Many of these costs also accrue to the serious journals that commercial publishers produce behind paywalls. This gives rise to the thorny issue of the third question.
With respect to predatory publishers and dicey for-profits, it is relatively easy to identify them and to discuss what to look for. The other questions are more difficult.
Next up, I’m going to re-post an earlier reply on one specific set of issues involving one conference-and-publishing firm. I hope to offer a more comprehensive answer to your two questions in a couple of weeks, and a few thoughts on the third.
Yours,
Ken
Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/
Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| University Distinguished Professor | Centre for Design Innovation | Swinburne University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia
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