Open Access Online Journal Research Articles

Challenges Associated with Postgraduate Students’ Awareness and Use of Online Journals in Nigerian Universities

This study investigates the challenges associated with postgraduate students’ awareness and use of online journals in Nigerian universities. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The population of the study comprised 10, 775 registered postgraduate students in federal and state universities in south-south zone of Nigeria. Based on the Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination table, a sample size of 370 postgraduate students were chosen for the study. The questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Copies of the questionnaire were distributed by hand by the researchers with the help of research assistants. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data from the questionnaire. The major findings challenges associated with postgraduate students’ awareness and use of online journals were identified to include absence of enlightenment on online journals by lecturers (𝑋̅2.94,SD=.87), lack of knowledge of publishers of online journals (𝑋̅2.67,SD=.98), lack of user education on online journals from university libraries (𝑋̅2.80,SD=.93), inadequate computer systems in university libraries (𝑋̅3.58,SD=.73), frequent power outages in libraries (𝑋̅3.48,SD=.66), and slow internet connectivity in university libraries (𝑋̅2.96,SD=.94) among others. Respondents in the study proffered several strategies for enhancing awareness and use of online journals. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the cost of data bundle should be reduced by Internet service providers, particularly for postgraduate students to enhance the use of online journals. University libraries should engage in aggressive awareness campaign on online journals and their usefulness for effective research in universities. Additionally, university libraries should create a database of open access online journals to enable users search full text articles online from various publishers.
 Keywords: Online Journals, Awareness, Use, Universities, Challenges

European Science Editing is in full open access now

I am excited to announce that with this volume European Science Editing (ESE) has shifted from the print to a fully digital open access version. The journal underwent several changes last year. First of all, our publisher, the European Association of Science Editors (EASE) was generously offered – and accepted – a new ARPHA submission system (powered by PenSoft). Together with the EASE president Pippa Smart and EASE Council, we decided to transform ESE into a fully open access online journal. After several months of planning and re-thinking our strategy, a small working group (some members of the EASE Council and of ESE’s associate editors) prepared a proposal, the main idea of which was to divide the journal in two overlapping publications: European Science Editing and EASE Digest. The former will continue to publish original articles, reviews (formerly “essays”), viewpoints, and correspondence using the fully open access ARPHA submission system (flow publishing) but will drop the other sections, namely News notes, The editor’s bookshelf, This site I like, and EASE Forum Digest). These sections, which our readers consider particularly valuable, will now be published in EASE Digest with a few selected articles from ESE. The Digest will be available to EASE members only. As the proposal was accepted by the EASE Council in September 2019, the journal’s transformation is already under way. I wish to thank Silvia Maina (This site I like), Fiona Murphy (Book reviews), Elise Langdon-Neuner (EASE-Forum Digest), Anna Maria Rossi (The Editor’s bookshelf), and James Hartley and Denys Wheatley (members of the International Advisory Board) for the great work they have done and for their cooperation.

Banishing Reason from the Divine Image: Gregory Palamas' 150 Chapters

The Journal for Late Antique Religion and Culture is a full text open access online journal, edited by members and associates of the Centre for Late Antique Religion and Culture and published by Cardiff University Press.

Commentary to ‘Predatory publishing or a lack of peer-review transparency? - a contemporary analysis of indexed open and non-open access papers in paediatric urology’

The existence of predatory practices in online open access journals has been a concern for over a decade and seems to be increasing. The authors looked at the impact of predatory publishing in pediatric urology and found that around 6.5% of pediatric urology publications are published in journals that met their criteria for a borderline/predatory journal. Predatory publishing or a lack of peer review transparency?—a contemporary analysis of indexed open and non-open access articles in paediatric urologyJournal of Pediatric UrologyVol. 15Issue 2PreviewThe advent of open access publishing has allowed for unrestricted and rapid knowledge dissemination and can generate higher citation levels. However, the establishment of predatory journals exploits this model and may lead to publication of non-peer reviewed work. Full-Text PDF Response to Editorial commentary: predatory publishing or a lack of peer-review transparency?—a contemporary analysis of indexed open and non-open access articles in pediatric urologyJournal of Pediatric UrologyVol. 15Issue 2PreviewThe overall prevalence and, indeed, perhaps incidence of predatory practices in online open access journals does appear to be increasing across all specialties, with a time-stable prevalence of 6.5% in our own findings within pediatric urology. Full-Text PDF

A Revista de Administração da Unimep: análise histórica das características e contribuições de sua publicação no período 2003-2017

Resumo Neste artigo apresentamos uma análise descritiva, de natureza qualitativa, das características e contribuições da Revista de Administração da Unimep (RAUnimep), alocada pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração da Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba (PPGA/Unimep). Trata-se de um periódico científico eletrônico, de acesso livre, criado e mantido ininterruptamente desde 2003. O período coberto pela análise é de 15 anos. Foi possível apurar as características de expressividade de sua amplitude e abrangência geográfica; o valor de sua inserção educacional e cultural; e as contribuições da inserção tecnológico-econômica para empresas, organizações, estudantes, pesquisadores e profissionais da Administração.

Open access medical journals: Benefits and challenges

The world of medical science literature is ever increasingly accessible via the Internet. Open access online medical journals, in particular, offer access to a wide variety of useful information at no cost. In addition, they provide avenues for publishing that are available to health care providers of all levels of training and practice. Whereas costs are less with the publishing of online open access journals, fewer resources for funding and technical support also exist. A recent rise in predatory journals, which solicit authors but charge high fees per paper published and provide low oversight, pose other challenges to ensuring the credibility of accessible scientific literature. Recognizing the value and efforts of legitimate open access online medical journals can help the reader navigate the over 11,000 open access journals that are available to date.

Editorial

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Social Interaction. Video-Based Studies on Human Sociality – an open access online journal for analyses of sense-making practices in naturally occurring social interaction as well as methodological and conceptual discussions for empirically based studies.

Editorial

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Social Interaction. Video-Based Studies on Human Sociality – an open access online journal for analyses of sense-making practices in naturally occurring social interaction as well as methodological and conceptual discussions for empirically based studies.

Open Access e riviste: prime riflessioni. Il caso «Enthymema»

This article aims to propose a number of initial reflections on the impact of open access publications in the field of literary criticism and comparative literature.Starting from Paola Castellucci’s recent publication (Carte del nuovo mondo. Banche dati e Open Access, 2017), the article will discuss the concepts of “ownership” of the intellectual product and the editorial models of academic publications. These points for reflection are also “put to the test” for an Open Access online journal. The first publishing experience is «Enthymema» which opens the dialogue in the voice of its Editor-in-Chief, Stefania Sini.

Opportunities to communicate results from challenging non-routine macromolecular structures in open-access online journals

Opportunities to communicate results from challenging non-routine macromolecular structures in open-access online journals

Boundary Detection of Pigs in Pens Based on Adaptive Thresholding Using an Integral Image and Adaptive Partitioning

P. Buayai, T. Kantanukul, C.K. Leung, and K. Runapongsa Saikaew. 2017. Boundary detection of pigs in pens based on adaptive thresholding using an integral image and adaptive partitioning. CMU Journal of Natural Sciences, 16(2): 145-155 (April-June 2017). This paper is published in CMU Journal of Natural Sciences, which is peer-reviewed and published as hardcopy and online open-access journal.

The Rise of Predatory Publishing: How To Avoid Being Scammed

The rise of on-line open access (OA) has profound implications for academic publishing, not least the shift from subscribers to authors as the primary transactional partners for peer-reviewed journals. Although OA offers many benefits, it also paves the way for predatory publishers, who exploit the author-as-customer model to obtain revenue from author fees while providing few of the editorial services associated with academic publishing. Predatory journals publish papers with little or no peer review, and often disguise their real geographical location while exaggerating their scope and editorial expertise. Such journals also attempt to attract authors by promising unrealistically rapid editorial decisions while falsely claiming peer review, and fabricating impact factors and inclusion in academic indexes. The explosive increase in predatory OA journals is not only a risk to inexperienced authors, but also threatens to undermine the OA model and the legitimate communication of research.

L&O Letters: Why we need a new journal for the aquatic sciences

<i>L&amp;O Letters</i>: Why we need a new journal for the aquatic sciences

Report on the first workshop on negative and null results in eScience

Report on the first workshop on negative and null results in eScience

Philippe Grandjean is the 2015 BCPT Nordic Prize Awardee.

Philippe Grandjean is the 2015 BCPT Nordic Prize Awardee.

Essence of scholarship: Charting a path through the thickets of scholarly publishing

The history of scholarly journal publishing is generally dated from the appearance of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London in 1665. The notable features of this publication are that it is the property of a learned society, and at the time of its inception reflected the deliberations of the scholars of the day from across Europe. It gained its stature from contributions by members of the learned society and the esteem of a broader scholarly community that used it as a vehicle to exchange ideas. Since the inception of the notion of the 'scholarly journal', the number of journals, and the range of subjects covered, has proliferated dramatically. In addition, the model for journal publishing has moved from the historical learned society publisher through to the emergence of large commercial publishers who dominate the market. The rise of electronic publishing has made it possible for predatory publishers with no pretensions of quality to join the fray. The various journal databases currently list in excess of 30 000 reputable titles and with the emergence of open-access online journals, the number is being proliferated extravagantly and with little regard for the quality of what is published. For an aspiring scholar who is looking for a credible vehicle in which to publish his or her work, the choices are bewildering. But informed choices are crucial for establishing a scholarly reputation. Thankfully, help is at hand in the form of the work that has been done in South Africa to enhance the reputation of local scholarly journals.

Changing of the guard.

Sharing our knowledge and insights with others remains a cornerstone of the medical profession. Publishing case reports that highlight unusual and interesting diseases, contributing original research that brings attention to new information, and writing review articles that shed different perspectives on previously published works has always been and continues to be the foundation for the dissemination of medical knowledge. The aforementioned, in turn, ignites the fuel that leads to change, which ultimately benefits our patients through improvements in diagnosis, therapy and management. While some may question the need for yet another journal, given the plethora of journals already in circulation, there is in fact a need for them all since each has its own target audience and fills its own unique niche. The journal Dermatology Practical & Conceptual (DPC) is no different. It was the vision of Dr. Harald Kittler to create an online open-access journal for clinicians interested in practical issues and concepts relevant to the care of dermatologic conditions. With this in mind the first issue of DPC, with Dr. Harald Kittler as its first editor (2011–2013), was launched October 2011. DPC quickly garnered a loyal following of readers and was embraced by the International Dermoscopy Society as its official organ for publication. Under Harald Kittler’s stewardship there was a steady increase in the number and in the quality of articles submitted to DPC. It is a testament to the quality of the submissions that 79% of articles submitted between 2011–2013 were accepted, after peer review, for publication. On February 5, 2013, due in no small part to the efforts of the first editor of DPC, the reviewers, authors, and the Derm101 staff, PubMed Central endorsed DPC by accepting all issues of the journal, staring with the October 2011 issue, to be indexed in PubMed. After his tireless work and dedication to DPC, Dr. Harald Kittler decided that “new blood” was required to continue to improve the journal. It was obvious to all involved in DPC that the ideal person to take over the reins of editorship of DPC was Dr. Iris Zalaudek. It was fortunate for us all that Dr. Zalaudek, who is the undisputed “Queen of Dermoscopy,” accepted the challenge. She served as editor of DPC from 2013–2015 and she was instrumental in widening DPC readership and in soliciting authors to submit their work to DPC. Under her leadership, DPC experienced a 48% increase in submissions, many of which highlight novel findings and continue to be referenced by others. In 2015 Dr. Iris Zalaudek decided to step down as editor of the journal. Now arose the challenge of finding a successor to take over the editorship of DPC. It was common knowledge to all prospective editors that Drs. Kittler and Zalaudek had sunk their hearts and souls into the journal by working extremely hard and allocating much of their free time to ensuring its success. Thus, it was with trepidation that we (Dr. Ashfaq A. Marghoob and Dr. Michael A. Marchetti) jointly applied for the about-to-be-vacant editorship seat. After deliberation, the DPC committee accepted our offer of joint editorship of DPC. Truth be told, while we are honored to have been named editors of DPC starting in 2016, we remain extremely nervous since we know the work involved and acknowledge that we can never fill the shoes of the previous editors. With that said, we have made a pledge to do our utmost at moving DPC forward and in continuing the vision of the previous editors. We have already made strides by implementing a system for the electronic submission and review of articles. While we acknowledge that there will be some bumps in the road, ultimately the electronic submission process should prove more effective, organized and efficient. Together with the reviewers we will continue to strive to bring to press insightful, novel, impactful, and relevant articles; if successful, our efforts should result in increased citations of DPC articles in other journals. We intend to track the number of citations to articles in proportion to the number of articles published, and as this proportion improves, we hope to eventually submit DPC to Thomson Reuters for evaluation with the intent of obtaining an official journal impact factor. Needless to say, much work remains before we can accomplish this task; however, we are confident that with the help and understanding of the readership, authors and reviewers, we will succeed. We thank you for trusting us with the task of editorship of DPC and look forward to working with all of you at improving DPC, educating our colleagues and helping take better care of our patients.

Caught in the Trap: The Allure of Deceptive Publishers

Caught in the Trap: The Allure of Deceptive Publishers

Revise and Resubmit … or Maybe Not: An Essay

Revise and Resubmit … or Maybe Not: An Essay

Why an open access publishing cooperative can work

Why an open access publishing cooperative can work