scholarly publishing

Separate open access fact from fiction at October’s lunchtime workshops

In honor of International Open Access Week, October’s Library Lunchtime Learning will focus on this hot topic in scholarly communication by introducing attendees to the concept and looking at the latest news in OA mandates. The workshop will also discuss predatory publishers (some of who disguise themselves in the cloak of open access) and how to identify article and conference solicitations that may not be on the up and up.

We hope to see you at 12 p.m. on either Thursday, October 9, in the Wirth Room (2203) on the Dental Campus or Tuesday, October 21, in the Ische Library’s Computer Lab for this important and timely topic. Please RSVP at dentlib@lsuhsc.edu if you can, but remember that drop-ins are always welcome.

Don’t forget today’s Library Lunchtime Learning

If you’re free at noon today, drop by the Computer Laboratory on the 4th floor of the Isché Library and learn about scientific writing and scholarly publishing. Hope to see you there!

And on the menu for next month:

September: Evidence-Based Practice

September 10: Dental (noon; Wirth Room (2203) in the Administration Building)

September 16: Downtown (noon; Computer Laboratory, 4^th floor, Isché Library)

Learn about scientific writing in August

Thinking about turning that interesting case into something publishable? Wanting to report your research results to the world? The Library Lunchtime Learning sessions continue in August with a look at Scientific Writing: The Basics. Come learn about the difference between an impact factor and an altmetric, the structure of scientific writing, considerations for selecting a journal, materials you may need for submission, copyright matters, and much more.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to dentlib@lsuhsc.edu. However, we welcome drop-ins!

Details:

Scientific Writing: The Basics

August 5, 12-1 p.m.

Wirth Room (2203), Dental Administration Building

and

August 19, 12-1 p.m.

Computer Laboratory, 4^th floor Library, Resource Center Building

Avoiding predatory publishers

Just as the second email ever sent was probably spam, the advent of open access publishing has brought individuals and businesses attempting to exploit scientists and researchers unfamiliar with their tactics. Becoming informed about these predatory publishers and how they operate is vital to avoiding their snare.

Predatory publishers and journals take advantage of the author-pay model of legitimate open access by charging large fees without providing any editorial or services and engaging in other nefarious behaviors, such as:

• Mimicking the name or web site style of more established journals.
• Accepting articles quickly with little or no peer review or quality control, including hoax and nonsensical papers (of course, more reputable journals sometimes have done the same).
• Notifying academics of article fees only after papers are accepted.
• Aggressively campaigning for academics to submit articles or serve on editorial boards.
• Listing academics as members of editorial boards without their permission or not allowing academics to resign from editorial boards.
• Appointing fake academics to editorial boards.

One strong source of information about predatory publishers is the Scholarly Open Access blog, written by Jeffrey Beall, Scholarly Initiatives Librarian at the Auraria Library, University of Colorado Denver. Beall’s lists of questionable publishers and standalone journals should be a first stop for information if you receive a suspicious solicitation from an unfamiliar journal.