Journal Selection Research Articles

Awareness and Attitudes Towards Open Access Predatory Publications Among the Academic Staff Members of Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

The scholarly community is now dealing with a serious issue with predatory journals. It might be difficult for authors to identify predatory publications apart from reputable ones. The purpose of this study is to investigate the academic staff members of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka on awareness of predatory publications and open access. The research methodology used in this study to gauge participants' knowledge of "open access" and "predatory publishing" was a questionnaire survey. Data collection involved the use of a pretested questionnaire. The permanent academic staff members affiliated with the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, university of Jaffna comprised the study's population. A link to an online survey was shared with every one of the faculty's fifty-two academic staff members. The response rate of the study was 67.30 %. MS Excel was used for the data analysis to describe the data in frequencies, percentages and rank orders of responses.Socio demographic details shows that, highest number of respondents are female (57.14%), completed master/MPhil (51.42%), senior lecturer (57.14%) and interested in marketing (28.57%) as their research discipline. Respondents expressed their priority order for the factors considered to select journal to submit manuscript for publications, journal indexing is the highest priority. All the respondents have an idea about the open access publishing system. Respondents are expected to publish in open access journals because of high visibility, increasing citation number, prestigious journals and fast publication process in a frequency order. The result of the survey shows that, 97.15% of the respondents are knowledgeable about predatory publishing. Majority of the respondents are characterized, the predatory journals are, no insufficient peer review process, and Beall’s list of predatory journals used by the high number of respondents to differentiate legitimate journals from predatory journals. More than half of the respondents are satisfied with the services provided by the library to avoid publishing in predatory journals. Responses are summarized for each of the 8 statements about the impact of publishing in predatory journals. Almost all the statements are agreed by the respondents other than the statement of “Articles published in predatory journals are poor in quality”. Highest agreement found for the statement 3 which is “Predatory publications are not considered for any academic reward” in which 14out of 35 were strongly agreed and followed by the statement 2 “many researchers published articles due to lack of awareness about predatory publication” (13 out of 35). Finally respondents are suggested to organize more awareness session on open access publishing and journal selection to avoid predatory publishing.

"The Best Home for This Paper": A Qualitative Study of How Authors Select Where to Submit Manuscripts.

For authors, selecting a target journal to submit a manuscript is a critical decision with career implications. In the discipline of medical education, research conducted in 2016 found that authors were influenced by multiple factors such as a journal's prestige and its mission. However, since this research was conducted the publishing landscape has shifted to include a broader variety of journals, an increased threat of predatory journals, and new publishing models. This study updates and expands upon how medical education authors decide which journal to submit to with the aim of describing the motivational factors and journal characteristics that guide authors' decision making. The authors conducted five qualitative focus groups in which twenty-two medical education authors and editors participated. During the focus groups participants were engaged in a discussion about how they select a journal to submit their manuscripts. Audio from all focus groups was transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using codebook thematic analysis. Participants considered multiple factors when selecting a target journal. Factors included a journal's impact, the scope of a journal, journal quality, and technical factors (e.g., word limits). Participants also described how social factors influenced their process and that open access plays a role that could both encourage or deter submission. The findings describe the motivational factors and influential signals that guide authors in their journal selection decision making. These findings confirm, extend, and update journal selection factors reported in medical education and other disciplines. Notably, these findings emphasize the role of social factors, relationships and personal experiences, which were absent from previous work. Additionally, we observed increased consideration of open acces and a shift away from an emphasis on journal prestige.

Scientific Writing Training Through Hybrid Experiential Learning Strategies for Pondok Pesantren Teachers

The implementation of this activity aims to improve the skills of writing scientific papers for teachers within the scope of the Zainul Hasan Genggong Islamic Boarding School Probolinggo. The hybrid experiential learning strategy used in the implementation of scientific writing training is a combination of reflective, continuous and project-based learning. Scientific writing training activities for Islamic boarding school teachers are carried out boldly and attractively which are useful for maximizing the expected skill achievement. The above training activities have several stages as follows (1) finding out, ideas and basic scientific studies; (2) preparation of theoretical studies; (3) research design methods; (4) writing scientific articles; and (5) journal selection and article submission. At each stage of the assignment participants' activities and reviews to determine the understanding and skills acquired. The results of the implementation of scientific work training for Islamic boarding school teachers through a hybrid experiential strategy show that Islamic boarding school teachers can identify ideas or problems within the scope of their study and write them into scientific works.

Determinants of Downloads as Demand for Hybrid Journals

Although Big Deal contracts that provide access rights to all electronic journals published by the publisher initially gained favor with university libraries, some libraries have terminated these contracts owing to increased charges since the 2010s. Consequently, they are faced with the problem of selecting journals for purchase within their limited budgets. This study investigates the factors affecting the number of downloads, representing journal demand, to provide libraries with guidance on journal selection. The download equation for 1485 hybrid journals published by Springer Nature is formulated using ordinary least squares. The results found that 5% and 50% of the 1485 journals generated approximately 30% and 85% of the downloads in 2022, respectively. Downloads are concentrated in fewer journals, although the Pareto principle does not apply to hybrid journals. Demand concentration implies that libraries do not need to maintain access rights to all journals. Recently, a few leading publishers have provided access rights to almost all electronic journals based on transformative agreements aiming to promote open access. Therefore, this study’s findings raise the issue of the rationale for bundling electronic journals in transformative agreements, which is similar to Big Deal. Moreover, the results of the download estimation reveal that hybrid journals with more open access articles, larger citation scores, and longer histories acquire more downloads. These findings indicate that open access accelerates the dissemination of research.

Navigating the Cardiothoracic Publication Landscape: A Primer for Journal Selection.

Journal selection is very important for any researcher in every field. Publication in a reputable journal not only has a higher reach among a greater number of people but also sets a benchmark for significance and quality. This primer aims to guide researchers in the field of cardiothoracic research, including medicine, surgery, and imaging, to assist in journal selection for their respective articles. Journal selection depends on a variety of factors, such as impact factors, publication charges, review processes, article types that a journal accepts, and indexing. This primer highlights all these factors in detail that are essential for the selection of a suitable journal. The article emphasizes the importance of these factors in making a reasoned decision about journal selection. This article also focuses on different types of publication models and their implications, including hybrid open access, gold open access, and diamond open access. In conclusion, this primer aims to provide insights to researchers in the fields of cardiothoracic surgery, medicine, and imaging about the publication landscapes and guide them to strategically plan their submissions.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Academic Productivity in Oncology: A Journal-, Conference- and Author-Level Analysis.

This study assessed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on academic productivity in oncology, measured by conference abstracts, journal publications and individual authorship trends, using a reference time frame of 2018 to 2022. To assess overall academic productivity, data was obtained on the number of abstracts and articles submitted and published from a selection of oncology conferences and journals. To assess individual authorship patterns, 200 articles were randomly selected from 2018, and for the first or last authors, publications were tracked over subsequent years. Factors assessed included gender, continent, specialty, MD vs. non-MD and career status (early vs. late). The number of submitted and published conference abstracts trended downward over time between 2018 and 2022 (p=0.11 and p=0.16 respectively). Journal submissions increased to a peak in 2020 and then declined thereafter, but this did not translate into changes in the number of papers published. For the author-level analysis, factors significantly predictive of increasing publication rates in multivariable analysis were late career status (vs. early), clinician status (vs. non-clinician), surgery or public health/epidemiology specialty, and author located in Asia. Further research is needed to help ameliorate the impact of these disparities.

NIH funding and journal selection: trends in dermatology publication models across tiers from 2021 to 2023.

This study examines the influence of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding on the publication choices of dermatologists, particularly in terms of journal tiers and pay-to-publish (P2P) versus free-to-publish (F2P) models. Utilizing k-means clustering for journal ranking based on SCImago Journal Rank, h-index, and Impact Factor, journals were categorized into three tiers and 54,530 dermatology publications from 2021 to 2023 were analyzed. Authors were classified as Top NIH Funded or Non-Top NIH Funded according to Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings. The study finds significant differences in publication patterns, with Top NIH Funded researchers in Tier I journals demonstrating a balanced use of P2P and F2P models, while they preferred F2P models in Tier II and III journals. Non-Top NIH Funded authors, however, opted for P2P models more frequently across all tiers. These data suggest NIH funding allows researchers greater flexibility to publish in higher-tier journals despite publication fees, while prioritizing F2P models in lower-tier journals. Such a pattern indicates that funding status plays a critical role in strategic publication decisions, potentially impacting research visibility and subsequent funding. The study's dermatology focus limits broader applicability, warranting further research to explore additional factors like geographic location, author gender, and research design.

Difficult Terrains of Research Publications Faced by Researchers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background The publication of scholarly work in peer-reviewed journals is a well-established method for disseminating knowledge and findings to a global audience. However, the publishing process is constantly evolving and encountering various obstacles that hinder progress. Despite a significant increase in the number of research projects undertaken, there are few studies evaluating the challenges faced by investigators in publishing their research. This study aims to identify the factors and elements that influence the publication process after the completion of research. Methods This study included 759 projects approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) from 2016 to 2021 at a tertiary care centre in South India. A list of these approved projects was analysed for overall output in terms of publication and completion. Investigators were contacted and interviewed using a validated, 15-question survey to identify various factors influencing scientific publications. Results A total of 759 projects approved by the IEC from 2016 to 2021 were analyzed. It was found that only 36.72% of studies were completed by faculty members, and the publication conversion rate was 34.24%. A single-point analysis showed a statistically significant lower conversion rate for resident articles (p = 0.032). The 15-point analysis detailed the factors influencing publication conversion, revealing that the majority of researchers publish based on academic and research interests (68.89% and 72.12%, respectively). Various deterrents to publication, such as study design, statistical analysis, journal selection, and knowledge about journal submission, were identified. Notably, 98.4% of researchers expressed a desire to publish more in the future, highlighting the importance of this study. Conclusion The study highlights areas that require attention to facilitate and augment research. It identifies the real gaps in the publication process and suggests points of intervention needed to enhance the research environment, increase publication rates, and establish demand-based research support units in the medical education sector.

A systematic literature review of logistics services outsourcing

Logistics is critical in every company's supply chain (SC), and outsourcing helps businesses concentrate on their core competencies. Third-party logistics (3 PL) or logistics service providers (LSPs) assist businesses in cutting costs while improving performance, sustainability, and revenue. Logistics evaluation and LSPs choice are complicated and critical components of value delivery. This study aims to review logistics outsourcing literature to understand the trends, prospects, factors, and strategies used in logistics companies' outsourcing choices. This work examines the literature on LSPs selection published between 2010 and 2023. This paper uses VOSviewer (version 1.6.19) to visualize the relationships. Pricing, timely shipment, service quality, reliability, agility, technology, and consumer feedback are the most commonly utilized, whereas societal and environmental factors are seldom used. The study comprises journal publications, the year, selection criteria, and assessment methodologies. Numerous scholars have discovered and employed many critical selection criteria. Many investigators have also embraced multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies, and their fuzzy form is widely used. In conclusion, recommendations for theorists and managers, limits, and future directions for research are offered.

Augmented reality in biology education: A systematic literature review

Augmented Reality (AR) has seen extensive utilization in the modern era, driven by rapid technological advancements. The aim of the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method is to meticulously analyze and assess previous research on a specific phenomenon in a systematic and explicit manner. The search was conducted on the Scopus database using the keyword "Augmented Reality," resulting in 209 relevant articles. Out of this total, 35 articles passed the journal selection criteria and were deemed ready for analysis. The article selection process was carried out using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) model for inclusion and exclusion purposes. Since 2019, there has been a rising trend in research on augmented reality. The issue of AR can be approached through quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and even development research (R&D). The most prominent author in AR research is NF Saidin. The data shows that the keyword "augmented reality" is strongly associated with "education" and "biology." These keywords are linked to concepts such as teacher training, augmented reality tools, teaching, biology learning, learning performance, e-learning, and virtual reality. Themes related to AR in education focus on teacher training in biology, which applies e-learning or mobile learning based on AR and virtual reality (VR). Articles were published by authors from 28 different countries, with authors predominantly from Asia. There are 15 institutions worldwide that fund AR research and publications. It can be concluded that the focus on AR in biology education will continue to grow, supported by the ongoing emphasis on technology in the modern era. This trend is reflected in the distribution year, research types/methods, instruments, areas of study, authors, keywords, authors’ nationalities, and collaboration patterns.

Culture Shock: Challenges of International Students

In the globalized landscape of higher education, the number of students seeking academic opportunities abroad has surged. This literature review investigates the cultural shock experienced by international students, examining its scale and impact globally and within Asia. The method used the PRISMA checklist and flowchart for selection and review of journals, consisting of three stages: identification from databases (n = 3,874,770), screening (n = 157), and inclusion (n = 10). Additionally, information was sought from books, dissertations, unpublished materials, and personal experiences as a teacher of international students. The review identified three themes regarding cultural shock. The first theme, Cultural Shock Syndromes, reveals that students generally experience homesickness, a desire to escape their new environment, and distress. The second theme, Aspects of Culture Shock Experienced by Students, includes language barriers, daily schedules, non-verbal communication, homesickness, loneliness, seasons and weather, and food. The third theme, Effects of Culture Shock on Students’ Lives during their Study, focuses on academic performance, social integration, and overall well-being. The conclusion is that cultural shock significantly affects international students as they navigate new academic and social environments, encompassing challenges such as homesickness, social exclusion, identity confusion, and cultural dissonance. These factors collectively contribute to heightened stress and anxiety, negatively impacting students' academic performance and overall well-being. Understanding the specific complaints and challenges associated with cultural shock highlights the critical need for comprehensive support systems.

Caution with Journal Selection: Spam, Copycat Journals, and Predatory Publishing

The modern scholarly journal is currently faced with the challenge of upholding its principles in order to attract a continuous stream of authors to maintain its publishing status. Further, it also needs to be weary of unscrupulous players (including competitors) lurking in the global knowledge stream that pose an existential threat by diverting academics away from legitimate journals using underhanded or unfair practices, such as the use of spam or journals that employ copycat names. It is not always easy to distinguish predatory from exploitative journals, or underhanded from unfair practices, and even the use of or reliance on publishing blacklists does not offer potential authors a safe selection of journals to publish in. Authors and journals thus live in a volatile publishing environment in which they are confronted with constant threats. In biomedicine, these can translate into reputational damage to the journal and publisher if fake science or pseudoscience is published, since it puts at stake the journal’s reliability for biomedical information. For authors, particularly younger or less experienced ones whose careers depend on publishing advances, a mistake such as making a submission to a hijacked or copycat journal that impersonates the original journal may carry long-term negative reputational consequences. So, such a decision can be career altering.

How metric-based performance evaluation systems fuel the growth of questionable publications?

The proliferation of questionable publishing practices has raised serious concerns in academia, prompting numerous discussions and investigations into the motivations behind researchers’ preference for such journals. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of current academic performance evaluation systems on scholars’ questionable journal preferences in Turkey. Utilizing data from the comprehensive study conducted by Kulczycki et al. (2021) on questionable journals, we analyzed the academic careers of 398 researchers who authored 417 articles in this context. Our findings reveal a clear association between current research evaluation systems and journal selection, particularly during the process of applying for associate professorship. Notably, 96% of the articles published in questionable journals were listed in scholars’ academic profiles, indicating their use in academic promotion or incentive portfolios. While this study contributes valuable insights into the relationship between academic performance evaluation systems and questionable journal preferences, additional research is required to comprehensively understand the motivations behind scholars’ publishing choices and to devise effective strategies to combat questionable publishing practices in academia.

Publishing a research paper in reputable journals: doctoral students’ perspectives

This study aimed to enquire about the English foreign language (EFL) doctoral students’ perspective, especially in the non-English department, concerning the Indonesian government policy, which obliges an article published in a reputable international journal as a requirement to receive a doctoral degree. Their challenges in publishing their papers in Scopus or Web of Science (WOS)-indexed journals and their resolutions were also analyzed. A mixed-methods technique was used to obtain quantitative and qualitative information. The study consisted of 57 respondents, comprising 25 males and 32 females, who were EFL doctoral students of education departments from five universities. The purposive sampling method with several criteria was used to determine the study participants. Data were then collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Subsequently, the findings showed that the policy of publishing a paper in Scopus or WOS-indexed journals to obtain an EFL doctoral degree was burdensome to the majority of the students. Other findings showed that the students faced several challenges in publishing their papers in these journals, including language problems, cost of publication, journal selection, lack of experience, duration to publish, writing difficulties, revising, and stress. The actions to resolve these challenges were also provided in this study.

Exploring the Nexus of Tourism and Technology Acceptance: A Bibliometric Analysis

This article offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis examining the complex relationship between technological acceptance and tourism. The study examines 313 documents from 183 different sources between 1995 and 2023, with a primary focus on articles (n = 213). Key findings show that this research area first appeared in 1995 and that 856 authors contributed 966 times to its changing environment. Global collaborations are led by China, the USA, and, surprisingly, Malaysia; this highlights the international character of modern research. The selection of essential journals is guided by Bradford's Law, which emphasizes "Sustainability" as a key resource. Lodka's Law highlights the contributions of a small number of extremely productive writers while revealing complex authorship interactions. Information technology and user acceptance are two examples of thematic focal points that are found through word cloud analysis. Global research clusters are identified by Collaboration Network analysis across nations, organizations, and authors. These analyses provide important information for future research orientations, industry, and academia. This research adds to the growing body of knowledge regarding how technology affects travel by offering guidance to academics, industry professionals, and decision-makers on how to navigate this complex intersection.

Losing objectivity: The questionable use of surveys in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects

Abstract The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) is one of the most well-known university rankings, recognized for its objective and reproducible methodology. In contrast, the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), which ranks institutions by scientific subjects and is also elaborated by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy (SRC), introduces methodological differences that deviate from the ARWU’s objectivity. This is due to the use of SRC’s Academic Excellence Survey to define two of the GRAS’s five indicators. Specifically, the Top indicator counts publications in journals determined by respondents as top tier in their field, and the Award indicator does the same for prizes. An examination of this survey suggests the presence of potential biases, especially in participant selection and journal identification, among which an Anglo-Saxon bias is prominently evident. Likewise, there is a potential risk that the selection of journals in some cases may be influenced, potentially masking conflicts of interest, such as involvement in editorial committees that could sway this selection. As a result, relying on surveys instead of adhering to established bibliometric standards can lead to inconsistencies and subjectivity, especially if not rigorously conducted. Such methodologies pose a risk to the trustworthiness of tools crucial for university policymaking.

Trends in Soil Science over the Past Three Decades (1992–2022) Based on the Scientometric Analysis of 39 Soil Science Journals

As one of the basic disciplines of agricultural, natural resource, and environmental science, soil science has played a critical role in global food security and socio-economic and ecological sustainability. The number of soil science journals and publications has increased remarkably with the development of soil science. However, there is a lack of systematic and comprehensive studies on the developmental trends of soil science based on journals and publications. In this study, 39 journals included under the soil science category in the 2022 Journal Citation Reports, and 112,911 publications in these journals from 1992 to 2022 were subjected to scientometric/bibliometric analysis to determine trends in publication, journal metrics, co-authorship, and research topics, in addition to general journal information. The results show that soil science ushered in a renaissance period with the number of publications, citations, impact factors, and CiteScore demonstrating an increasing trend. America and the Chinese Academy of Sciences had the most publications and citations. The most productive author published more than 400 articles. Soil science research focused mostly on its fundamental impact on the ecological environment based on the strongest citation bursts analysis of keywords. The analysis indicated that open access has increased in popularity. Current soil science journals still face a few common challenges, including an urgent need for a fairer evaluation mechanism on journal quality compared to the traditional use of single metrics as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the whole editorial process. Artificial intelligence may bring new tools and more changes to the development of soil science. This study will help soil science researchers to better understand the development status and future trends of soil science. It will also guide authors in journal selection.

Top journals publishing articles related to drowning prevention: a bibliometric analysis 2000-2022.

Drowning is a worldwide problem. Scholarly publications about drowning prevention play a crucial role in bringing data to policy makers and prevention specialists. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of published articles related to unintentional drowning prevention included in the comprehensive, curated injury literature database, SafetyLit®. Thorough searches of drowning-related search terms in English and non- English translations identified articles published in journals between 2000 and 2022. There was a 3-fold increase in publications between 2000 and 2022, with 2,937 articles published in 941 journals. Articles were published in 20 different languages. Five journals published 16% of the articles and sixty-one top journals published 50% of the articles. Eighty-nine percent of the top journals were included in PubMed; 82% were indexed in MEDLINE®; and professional areas of expertise of article authors spanned 18 categories. This study can facilitate journal selection for drowning researchers to ultimately increase the publication of scientific literature globally.

Assessing scholarly communication competence in Zambian library professionals

Purpose This study aims to assess the scholarly communication competence of Zambian library and information science (LIS) professionals by evaluating their awareness, knowledge and practices regarding scholarly publication. Design/methodology/approach Applying a quantitative research approach, the study used a specially designed questionnaire. Responses from 57 professionals across universities and colleges in Zambia were gathered using convenience sampling. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation calculations and t-values and p-values to understand respondents’ perceptions and knowledge of scholarly communication and publication. Findings The findings revealed significant gaps in respondents’ knowledge and awareness, particularly regarding predatory journals, journal selection factors, open-access models, publication challenges, reference management software (RMS) usage and research obstacles. The study underscored the necessity for increased training and capacity-building initiatives among Zambian LIS professionals to enhance their scholarly communication competence. Originality/value This research contributed to the field by highlighting deficiencies in scholarly communication awareness among Zambian LIS professionals. It emphasised the need for targeted interventions, awareness programs and educational support to improve academic literacy and scholarly publication practices. Additionally, the study suggested future research avenues, such as longitudinal studies and strategies for enhancing RMS adoption, to advance scholarly practices among Zambian professionals further.

Finite element analysis megatrends: A road less traveled

AbstractIn today's environment, finite element analysis is crucial for Mechanical Engineers. In today's highly competitive industries, graduates need to be productive from Day one as they enter the industry. To meet the vast range of industrial requirements or even for higher education, education institutes must adhere to an industry enabled curriculum as defined in collaboration with industry employees. As students reach their prefinal year of mechanical engineering studies, they will encounter courses like finite element analysis, design of machine elements, and failure analysis in design, which will serve as foundation steps for their future careers. As students need to compete in the real world, it becomes imperative to have a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical issues. The focus of current work is to provide them a platform to think as a real‐time problem‐solving engineer to address the society‐based problems and how he/she approaches the problem in an optimized way and finally, convert the entire work to tangible documents in the form of research articles. Since 2018, a new vertical called as “advanced computer aided engineering (CAE)” has emerged to link and prepare people for the business. In the realm of finite element method (FEM) theoretical and allied laboratory work, the current study discusses sustainability while selecting the problem statement. The entire emphasis is on eco‐environment with nature's sustainability along with the go‐green concept in terms of materials, design, optimization, cost, quality, and so on. The present work includes several new features that were not present in the previous curriculum, such as transforming the work to high‐quality journals, student feedback, subscription‐based journal selection for the manuscript, and embedding experimental and analytical work alongside simulation studies. This time, 40 teams participated, with around 36 project works being qualified for publication in prestigious journals and 8–10 works being filed for Indian patents. In terms of quality and quantity of work completed, this is the best output attained in contrast to previous iterations. Because of the increasing growth rate of higher education, our students have been able to get into Top 100 QS ranked universities. The figures show that because of faculty involvement in the FEM lab, Advanced CAE I, and Advanced CAE II, over the previous 4–5 years, students were able to publish more than 50 publications in prestigious peer‐reviewed International/National Journals and Conference papers.