The Academic Performance Indicators (API) system introduced by the UGC is singularly responsible for the sharp growth of predatory journals in India. The white list it introduced to stem the rot has not helped with the inclusion of predatory journals. The vague and loose criteria for inclusion of a journal in the list has only … Continue reading Predatory journals: UGC’s greyish white list is a curse to science
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Indian scientific community should act now to stop the journal paper translation centres
Starting centres employing thousands to translate into Indian languages the papers published in "predatory" journals is singularly aimed at gaining legitimacy for a fraudulent practice. Keeping the predatory journal industry in India under check will be impossible unless the scientific community acts swiftly and in full force to stop the first translation centre from becoming operational. Predatory … Continue reading Indian scientific community should act now to stop the journal paper translation centres
Hyderabad-based OMICS group to translate their journal papers to Indian languages
Predatory journal publishing in India is gaining more ground, legitimacy, and credibility. The CEO of OMICS Group, a “potential, possible, or probable” predatory journal publisher, has signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh government to establish a centre to translate papers published in their journals to Indian languages. Brace, brace, brace. Predatory journal publishing in India … Continue reading Hyderabad-based OMICS group to translate their journal papers to Indian languages
How to spot predatory journals
Spotting predatory journals is quite easy in most cases. By default, most predatory journals have at least a few red flags (as listed here) that should warn researchers of the true nature of the journals. In those cases where it is very difficult to tell them apart, researchers should consult their librarians or fellow-researchers to … Continue reading How to spot predatory journals
Injunction against Hyderabad’s OMICS group to stop ‘deceptive practices’
In a preliminary injunction, a U.S. federal court has ordered Hyderabad-based OMICS to remove all misleading claims from its websites. This includes removing the names of eminent scientists who never consented to join the editorial boards of its journals, stating the research is peer reviewed when it is not and claiming its journals are included … Continue reading Injunction against Hyderabad’s OMICS group to stop ‘deceptive practices’
Four papers from CSIR, ICAR labs retracted for fake peer reviews
The journal publisher Frontiers has retracted four papers from NIIST and CTCRI, which are Thiruvananthapuram-based CSIR and ICAR labs respectively, once it found evidence of fake peer reviews. Routine check on a manuscript submitted by the researchers from these labs led to the discovery of faking the peer-review process. While the manuscript was rejected, it also … Continue reading Four papers from CSIR, ICAR labs retracted for fake peer reviews
NBRC researchers uncover how damaged neurons recover function
In C. elegans, the functional recovery of the damaged neurons happens only when proximal axons successfully fuse with their distal counterparts. A team led by Dr. Anindya Ghosh-Roy from the National Brain Research Centre, Gurgaon, found that the ability to regenerate neurons gets reduced with age as the fusion is not complete. The work raises hopes … Continue reading NBRC researchers uncover how damaged neurons recover function
IISER Bhopal team’s new strategies to fight breast cancer
BORIS gene depletion and inhibition of DNA methylation starved the cancer cells of energy as it led to decreased glucose uptake. BORIS depletion affects other cancer-related hallmark (cancer growth, reduced apoptosis and abnormal metabolism). So targeting BORIS gene might be better. Inhibiting the growth and accelerating the death rate of breast cancer cells may be … Continue reading IISER Bhopal team’s new strategies to fight breast cancer
UGC’s revised white list has 111 more predatory journals
The increasing number of predatory journals spotted in the UGC list of approved journals is a clear indication that UGC is not equipped to produce and sustain a journal white list. And allowing universities to recommend journals to be added to the list has only made things worse. It's time it scraps the list and … Continue reading UGC’s revised white list has 111 more predatory journals
IGIB scientists discover a skin bacterium with antimicrobial activity
Synthetic peptides, which have sequences identical to the natural ones isolated from the bacteria, prepared in the lab showed antimicrobial activity. This makes culturing of bacteria for peptides redundant and developing new antimicrobial compounds a step closer. Bacteria found on the skin are known to harbour a large repertoire of antimicrobial agents. A new bacterial … Continue reading IGIB scientists discover a skin bacterium with antimicrobial activity
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