Are Predatory Journals and Conferences Lurking in Your Inbox? Recognizing and Avoiding Academic Traps.

🔍 Key Finding Predatory journals and conferences, characterized by deceptive practices and a focus on profit over scholarship, pose a growing threat to research integrity, particularly for early-career researchers and trainees in dermatology. Recognizing these entities through critical appraisal, utilizing available resources, and seeking mentorship are crucial to avoid the negative consequences of predatory publishing.

🔬 Methodology Overview

• Design: Educational review.
• Data Sources: Published literature, including journal articles and online resources.
• Selection Criteria: Focus on predatory journals and conferences, particularly in dermatology.
• Analysis Approach: Qualitative synthesis of information on characteristics, harms, and identification of predatory practices.
• Scope: To raise awareness and educate trainees and young researchers on predatory publishing and conference practices.

📊 Results

• Growth of Predatory Journals: Approximately 1,800 predatory journals existed in 2010, rising to 8,000 in 2016 and 12,000 in 2019.
• Limited Awareness Among Dermatologists: A 2018 survey revealed that the majority of Austrian dermatologists, particularly trainees and junior colleagues, were unfamiliar with predatory journals.
• Prevalence of Publishing in Predatory Journals: A 2019 study estimated that 5% of 46,000 Italian researchers had published in such journals.
• Citation Impact: 60% of articles published in predatory journals receive zero citations.
• Predatory Conference Characteristics: These conferences often involve high registration and speaker fees, diverse meeting topics in attractive locations, and false promises of open-access publication and meeting leadership opportunities. They often use spam emails with flattering language, grammatical errors, and lacking meeting details.
• Negative Impact of Predatory Practices: Consequences include damage to reputation, reduced career opportunities (CVs with predatory publications scored 9% lower), hindered scientific dissemination (lack of archiving and access), and potential negative impact on patient care due to misleading information.

💡 Clinical Impact Predatory journals and conferences pose a threat to patient care as clinicians and patients may not be able to distinguish legitimate articles from those published in predatory journals, potentially leading to adverse clinical decisions. Increased awareness and education on identifying predatory practices are crucial to protect both researchers and patients from the negative consequences of this growing phenomenon.

🤔 Limitations

• No or poor peer review process.
• Rapid acceptance of articles.
• Flattering language in invitations.
• Lack of meeting details in conference invitations.
• Negative impact on researcher’s reputation and credibility.
• Potential adverse consequences for patient care due to misinterpretation of published articles.
• Waste of research funding.

✨ What It Means For You Doctors should be aware that predatory journals and conferences, driven by profit, publish low-quality or fabricated research that can negatively impact patient care if used to inform clinical decisions. This necessitates critical appraisal skills and reliance on reputable resources to ensure the validity of medical information used in practice.

Reference Leducq S, Bonsu N, Clement K, Barlow R, Williams HC. Predator and Alien: the threat of predatory journals and conferences. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 2023;10.1093/ced/llad133. https://doi.org/10.1093/ced/llad133