Predatory journals’ impact on research ethics and integrity

• In Event: Ethics in criminological research: Old questions, new challenges

Abstract

While there is no inevitable conclusion that studies published in predatory journals are the product of fraudulent science, there should be, nonetheless, debate on the impact of predatory publishing practices on the reliability and quality of science. This is particularly difficult at a time of commodification of science and the high-value market placed on scientific publications with the normalisation of article processing charges in many publishers to guarantee open access. Flagging so-called predatory journals may be useful for scientific communities to keep high standards in research ethics and research integrity, and this presentation will offer some reflections on what can be considered predatory publishing practices. Furthermore, it will highlight how several deviant behaviours occur concurrently, including phishing, website cloning, identity theft, and disinformation. Finally, it will be discussed that publishing in non-major scientific publishers may be an act of resistance to hegemonic models of science while simultaneously, causing (un)intended consequences on research integrity.

Author

• Rita Faria, CIJ - Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Justice, University of Porto