Fighting Predatory Journals: A Strategic Solution for the Quality and Sustainability of Scientific Publications in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70550/sebi.v1i3.73Keywords:
Predator Journal, Scientific Publications, Agency Theory, Knowledge-Based Theory, Academic Literacy, Publication RegulationAbstract
The phenomenon of predatory journals seriously threatens the academic ecosystem, especially in Indonesia, where the pressure to "publish or perish" and low academic literacy exacerbate the situation. Predatory journals offer a fast publication process without adequate peer review, thereby lowering the quality of research, hurting the reputation of academics and institutions, and spreading invalid information. Although many global studies have addressed this issue, there are research gaps related to the Indonesian context, especially strategic solutions that consider regulation, literacy, and management of scientific journals. This research aims to identify the impact of predatory journals, outline the challenges for academics and journal managers, and offer strategic solutions based on Agency and Knowledge-Based Theory. The research method used is descriptive-analytical with a qualitative approach based on secondary data from scientific literature. The results show that the main challenges are low academic literacy, pressure to publish, limited access to reputable journals, and financial exploitation. Strategic solutions include education through programs such as “Think, Check, Submit.” Strengthening regulations, using technology to detect predatory journals, and national and international collaboration. The role of journal managers is vital in maintaining the quality of publications through editorial transparency, certification, technological innovation, and the development of the reviewer community. The implications of this study emphasize the importance of collaboration and academic literacy in creating a healthy academic ecosystem. The novelty research lies in integrating Agency and Knowledge-Based theories in the context of predatory journals in Indonesia, offering relevant and applicable strategic solutions to support the sustainability of high-quality scientific publications.
Downloads
References
Aleksić, J., Alexa, A., Attwood, T. K., Hong, N. C., Dahlö, M., Davey, R. P., Dinkel, H., Förstner, K. U., Grigorov, I., Hériché, J., Lahti, L., MacLean, D., Markie, M., Molloy, J., Schneider, M. V., Scott, C., Smith-Unna, R., & Vieira, B. M. (2015). An Open Science Peer Review Oath. F1000research, 3, 271. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.5686.2
Beall, J. (2015). Predatory Journals and the Breakdown of Research Cultures. Information Development, 31(5), 473–476. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266666915601421
Beall, J. (2016). Best Practices for Scholarly Authors in the Age of Predatory Journals. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 98(2), 77–79. https://doi.org/10.1308/rcsann.2016.0056
Bornmann, L., & Daniel, H. (2010). Reliability of Reviewers’ Ratings When Using Public Peer Review: A Case Study. Learned Publishing, 23(2), 124–131. https://doi.org/10.1087/20100207
Brondz, I. (2013). Analytical Methods in the Quality Control of Scientific Publications Part II: The Authors’, Reviewers’, Editors’ Responsibility, and the Publishers’ Authority. International Journal of Analytical Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography, 01(02), 81–89. https://doi.org/10.4236/ijamsc.2013.12010
Butler, L.-A., Matthias, L., Simard, M.-A., Mongeon, P., & Haustein, S. (2022). The Oligopoly’s Shift to Open Access Publishing. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of Cais / Actes Du Congrès Annuel De L Acsi. https://doi.org/10.29173/cais1262
Chadegani, A. A., Salehi, H., Yunus, M. M., Farhadi, H., Fooladi, M., Farhadi, M., & Ebrahim, N. A. (2013). A Comparison Between Two Main Academic Literature Collections: Web of Science and Scopus Databases. Asian Social Science, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v9n5p18
Clements, J. C., Daigle, R. M., & Froehlich, H. E. (2018). Predator in the Pool? A Quantitative Evaluation of Non-Indexed Open Access Journals in Aquaculture Research. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00106
Cobey, K. D., Grudniewicz, A., Lalu, M. M., Rice, D. B., Raffoul, H., & Moher, D. (2019). Knowledge and Motivations of Researchers Publishing in Presumed Predatory Journals: A Survey. BMJ Open, 9(3), e026516. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026516
Cobey, K. D., Lalu, M. M., Skidmore, B., Ahmadzai, N., Grudniewicz, A., & Moher, D. (2018). What Is a Predatory Journal? A Scoping Review. F1000research, 7, 1001. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.15256.1
Collyer, F. (2016). Global Patterns in the Publishing of Academic Knowledge: Global North, Global South. Current Sociology, 66(1), 56–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392116680020
Cortegiani, A., Ippolito, M., Ingoglia, G., Manca, A., Cugusi, L., Severin, A., Strinzel, M., Panzarella, V., Campisi, G., Lalu, M. M., Gregoretti, C., Einav, S., Moher, D., & Giarratano, A. (2020). Citations and Metrics of Journals discontinued From Scopus for Publication Concerns: The GhoS(t)copus Project. F1000research, 9, 415. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.23847.2
Frandsen, T. F. (2022). Authors Publishing Repeatedly in Predatory Journals: An Analysis of Scopus Articles. Learned Publishing, 35(4), 598–604. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1489
Gaus, N., Jasruddin, Saleh, A., Resnawaty, R., Paramma, M. A., & Tanjung, Y. (2021). Trading‐off Monetary Rewards as Reinforcers to Enhance Task Motivation and Performance of Publication in Academia. Higher Education Quarterly, 76(4), 800–814. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12350
Gómez‐Mejía, L. R., Wiseman, R. M., & Dykes, B. J. (2005). Agency Problems in Diverse Contexts: A Global Perspective. Journal of Management Studies, 42(7), 1507–1517. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2005.00554.x
Grant, D., Kovács, G., & Spens, K. (2018). Questionable Research Practices in Academia: Antecedents and Consequences. European Business Review, 30(2), 101–127. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr-12-2016-0155
Günaydın, G. P., & Doğan, N. Ö. (2015). A Growing Threat for Academicians: Fake and Predatory Journals. Journal of Academic Emergency Medicine, 14(2), 94–96. https://doi.org/10.5152/jaem.2015.48569
Inouye, K., & Mills, D. (2021). Fear of the Academic Fake? Journal Editorials and the Amplification of the “Predatory Publishing” Discourse. Learned Publishing, 34(3), 396–406. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1377
Kendall, G. (2021). Beall’s Legacy in the Battle Against Predatory Publishers. Learned Publishing, 34(3), 379–388. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1374
Larivière, V., Haustein, S., & Mongeon, P. (2015). The Oligopoly of Academic Publishers in the Digital Era. Plos One, 10(6), e0127502. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127502
Lee, S., & Bozeman, B. (2005). The Impact of Research Collaboration on Scientific Productivity. Social Studies of Science, 35(5), 673–702. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312705052359
Lent, M. van, Overbeke, J., & Out, H. J. (2013). Recommendations for a Uniform Assessment of Publication Bias Related to Funding Source. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-13-120
Luca, D. G. Di, Kirby, A., & Goetz, C. G. (2022). Implementation and Outcomes of a Movement Disorder Society‐Sponsored Peer Reviewing Education and Mentoring Program. Movement Disorders, 37(5), 1093–1097. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.28978
Mahroji, Nugraha, E., Nugroho, L., Ali, A. J., & Putra, Y. M. (2024). Application of Value-Based Management in Management Accounting: Increasing Efficiency Through Technology Integration in the Industrial Era 4.0. Business, Management & Accounting Journal (BISMA), 1(3). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.70550/bisma.v1i3.62
McKiernan, E. C., Schimanski, L. A., Nieves, C. M., Matthias, L., Niles, M. T., & Alperín, J. P. (2019). Use of the Journal Impact Factor in Academic Review, Promotion, and Tenure Evaluations. Elife, 8. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.47338
Memon, A. R. (2017). Predatory Journals Spamming for Publications: What Should Researchers Do? Science and Engineering Ethics, 24(5), 1617–1639. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9955-6
Mercier, É., Tardif, P., Moore, L., Sage, N. Le, & Cameron, P. (2017). Invitations Received From Potential Predatory Publishers and Fraudulent Conferences: A 12-Month Early-Career Researcher Experience. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 94(1108), 104–108. https://doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2017-135097
Mertkan, S., Aliusta, G. O., & Suphi, N. (2021). Profile of Authors Publishing in ‘Predatory’ Journals and Causal Factors Behind Their Decision: A Systematic Review. Research Evaluation, 30(4), 470–483. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvab032
Mouton, J., & Valentine, A. G. D. T. (2017). Extent of South African Authored Articles in Predatory Journals. South African Journal of Science, 113(7/8), 9. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2017/20170010
Mulligan, A., Hall, L., & Raphael, E. (2012). Peer Review in a Changing World: An International Study Measuring the Attitudes of Researchers. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 64(1), 132–161. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22798
Napitupulu, D., Nugroho, L., & Nisa, B. (2020). Mudah Membuat Skripsi/Tesis (Pertama). CV. Penerbit Qiara Media.
Negre, J. S., Calvo‐Sastre, A., & Comas‐Forgas, R. (2022). Predatory Journals and Publishers: Characteristics and Impact of Academic Spam to Researchers in Educational Sciences. Learned Publishing, 35(4), 441–447. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1450
Nguyen, T. V, & Pham, L. T. (2011). Scientific Output and Its Relationship to Knowledge Economy: An Analysis of ASEAN Countries. Scientometrics, 89(1), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0446-2
Nugroho, L., Fajarsari, I. M., Solikin, A., Yusdita, E. E., Fatriansyah, A. I. A., Irwanto, I., Atiningsih, S., Susilawati, N., Gainau, P. C., Hippy, M. Z., Rahmadi, H., Januarsi, Y., & Faisol, I. A. (2023). Metodologi Penelitian Akuntansi dan Praktik Penulisan Artikel Bidang Akuntansi. In N. Rismawati (Ed.), Widina Bhakti Persada. Widina Bhakti Persada Bandung.
Oktris, L., Tarmidi, D., Nugroho, L., Anasta, L., & Fadjareni, A. (2022). Tips & Trik Cara Praktis Menyusun Skripsi dan Tesis (Pertama). Pustaka Pranala.
Richtig, G., Berger, M. S., Lange‐Asschenfeldt, B., Aberer, W., & Richtig, E. (2018). Problems and Challenges of Predatory Journals. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 32(9), 1441–1449. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.15039
Ross-Hellauer, T. (2017). What Is Open Peer Review? A Systematic Review. F1000research, 6, 588. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.11369.1
Ross‐White, A., Godfrey, C., Sears, K., & Wilson, R. (2019). Predatory Publications in Evidence Syntheses. Journal of the Medical Library Association Jmla, 107(1). https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2019.491
Salehi, M., Soltani, M. R., Tamleh, H., & Teimournezhad, S. (2019). Publishing in Predatory Open Access Journals: Authors’ Perspectives. Learned Publishing, 33(2), 89–95. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1261
Sayab, M. (2023). How Reliable Are Anonymous Lists in Identifying Predatory Journals and Publishers? Trends in Scholarly Publishing, 2(1), 31–33. https://doi.org/10.21124/tsp.2023.31.33
Shamseer, L., Moher, D., Maduekwe, O., Turner, L., Barbour, V., Burch, R., Clark, J., Galipeau, J., Roberts, J., & Shea, B. (2017). Potential Predatory and Legitimate Biomedical Journals: Can You Tell the Difference? A Cross-Sectional Comparison. BMC Medicine, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0785-9
Shen, C., & Björk, B. (2015). ‘Predatory’ Open Access: A Longitudinal Study of Article Volumes and Market Characteristics. BMC Medicine, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0469-2
Shrestha, J. (2021). Predatory Journals as Threats to the Academic Publishing: A Review. Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3126/janr.v4i2.33640
Shrestha, J., Subedi, S., Shokati, B., & Chaudhary, A. (2018). Predatory Journals: A Threat to Scholarly Publishing. Journal of Education and Research, 8(1), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.3126/jer.v8i1.25482
Smith, M. J., Weinberger, C. J., Bruna, E. M., & Allesina, S. (2014). The Scientific Impact of Nations: Journal Placement and Citation Performance. Plos One, 9(10), e109195. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0109195
Wicherts, J. M. (2016). Peer Review Quality and Transparency of the Peer-Review Process in Open Access and Subscription Journals. Plos One, 11(1), e0147913. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147913
Wiryawan, I. K. G. (2014). The Current Status of Science Journals in Indonesia. Science Editing, 1(2), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.2014.1.71
Wolfram, D., Wang, P., Hembree, A., & Park, H. (2020). Open Peer Review: Promoting Transparency in Open Science. Scientometrics, 125(2), 1033–1051. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03488-4
Wu, J., Yu, J., Fang, Y., Wang, J., & Xu, J. (2024). The Core Components and the Survey on Importance of Professional Quality of Chief Editor, Editorial Director and Editor of Sci-Tech Journals in China. Editing Practice, 2. https://doi.org/10.54844/ep.2024.0547
Xia, J., Harmon, J. L., Connolly, K. G., Donnelly, R. M., Anderson, M. R., & Howard, H. (2014). Who Publishes in “Predatory” Journals? Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(7), 1406–1417. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23265
Yeo-Teh, N. S. L., & Tang, B. L. (2021). Wilfully Submitting to and Publishing in Predatory Journals - A Covert Form of Research Misconduct? Biochemia Medica, 31(3), 395–402. https://doi.org/10.11613/bm.2021.030201
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Social and Economic Bulletin

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.











