The Price for ‘Predatory’ Publishing? $50 Million

By Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Following a complaint by the F.T.C., a federal judge has ordered a large publisher of online scientific journals to change its business practices — and to pay an enormous judgment.

In the world of scientific research, they are pernicious impostors. So-called predatory journals, online publications with official-sounding names, publish virtually anything, even gibberish, that an academic researcher submits — for a fee.

Critics have long maintained that these journals are eroding scientific credibility and wasting grant money. But academics must publish research to further their careers, and the number of questionable outlets has exploded.

Now the Federal Trade Commission has stepped in, announcing on Wednesday that it has won a $50 million court judgment against Omics International of Hyderabad, India, and its owner, Srinubabu Gedela.

Omics publishes hundreds of journals in such areas as medicine, chemistry, and engineering. It also organizes conferences. The F.T.C. claimed that Omics violated the agency’s prohibition on deceptive business practices.

Read the full article here.

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