Publish and Perish: Exploring Issues of Predatory Outlets among African Researchers
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Date
2016-04-28
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Abstract
The dependence of academic evaluation on one’s publications has resulted in the popularity of the expression “Publish or Perish” in academic institutions, over the decades. The expression is, in some sense, intended to serve as an impetus for young researchers to publish the findings of their research, and thus increase the research outputs of their respective institutions. In addition, the policy of most major universities in Africa and world is to increase their publications for a number of reasons, including the possibility of gaining favourable world university rankings.
However, in most researchers’ quest to increase their publications, especially after their doctoral studies, they look for journals and other outlets with quicker and easier review processes than the traditional publishers. This has caused the emergence of predatory publishers. The number of “Predatory Publishers” increased from just five (5) in 2009 to over nine hundred in 2016. Their activities possess a great danger to young researchers and the research systems of African universities.
In this presentation, I will report on my recent study which highlighted the extent of predatory publishing among Ghanaian researchers. Out of a total number of 600 publications by 30 Ghanaian researchers, over 60 articles were published in predatory journals. Also, of the 30 researchers only 7 had no publications from a predatory publisher in their list of articles and other research outputs.
The outcome of this study provides the basis for informing researchers that, in spite of the need to publish to avoid perishing, one can actually publish and still perish if care is not taken to ensure that the processes and consequent outputs are credible. Thus the presentation will create awareness on the emergency of predatory publishers, how they can be identified and why their activities possess a great danger to the overall research system in African universities.
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Seminar
Keywords
African universities, academic institutions, university ranking, Africa