Here are excerpts from actual recent spam journal emails which were sent to an orthopedic surgeon:
- Research & Review: Clinical Oncology and Hematology.“Christmas Discount” to authors who agree to pay a fee to publish with this “Journal.” According to the “journal’s” unsolicited email, they will accept, literally, anything the author wishes to submit. “The article can be Research Article, Review Article, Short commentary, case report, etc…” Authors are encouraged to get their manuscript in quickly. After all, the “December Month” will be over soon.
- Open Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery.This UAE-based journal has no editorial board members listed on its website, no editor, no peer review process and every name on the website is non-academic. But for a fee of between $715 and $1,030, they will gladly publish your work.
- Dentistry: Advanced Research.“We know being an eminent personality you must be busy with your prior commitments in respect to which you couldn’t reply to our e-mail. We would be glad to know your opinion to submit your manuscript to the upcoming issue of the journal, so that we can plan accordingly to include it in the same. The quick submission will result in fast review process and publications. The accepted articles will be shelved for new issue release according to the editors and reviewer’s response. If you are ready with the manuscript kindly submit at your earliestat our websiteor you can directly send to this mail. We look forward to your quick response for the good scientific approach and study.” Reads like a Google Translation.
Turning the Tables on Predatory Journals
In 2013, Sciencecorrespondent John Bohannon submitted 304 fake scientific articles to various open access journals, many of which were published by publishers on Beall’s List. Among these publishers that completed the review process, 82% accepted the paper. Bohannon then declared that “the results show that Beall is good at spotting publishers with poor quality control.” Beall stated that the results support his claim to be identifying “predatory” publishers.
In early 2017 John H. McCool, founder and editor-in-chief of Precision Scientific Editing, decided to troll a dubious urology journal that had emailed him a manuscript solicitation. Being a fan of the TV show Seinfeld, McCool created an entirely fictional case report based on classic Seinfeldepisodes.
He used a Seinfeldfictional condition “uromycitisis poisoning.” Uromycitisis is based on a show where Jerry Seinfeld couldn’t find his car in a parking lot and had to urinate. In desperation he relieves himself in the parking ramp. Naturally, a security guard catches him in the act.
Jerry tries to talk his way out of his dilemma by inventing a phony condition called “uromycitisis”. In the show, Seinfeld tells the guard that he must urinate or die.
McCool wrote his fictional case study under the name Dr. Martin van Nostrand—another Seinfeldcharacter. The 100% fake case report was then submitted to the dubious journal (Urology & Nephrology Open Access Journal). The journal accepted McCool’s (aka: Nostrand) case report. After acceptance, the journal asked McCool to pay a “nominal” author’s fee of $799, plus tax.
McCool didn’t pay. The bogus article was still published on the journal’s website on March 31, 2017.
