Stop Predatory Practices

About

Welcome to Stop Predatory Practices, an initiative dedicated to addressing the critical issue of predatory journals, publishers, and conferences within the academic community. Predatory practices encompass various unethical behaviours, such as subpar peer review processes, impersonation of reputable publishers, falsification of editorial boards, relentless spamming of invitations, manipulation of citation indicators, and more. Our initiative is committed to raising awareness of these predatory practices across the research landscape, primarily focusing on improving publishing ethics in science.

Our primary goal is to educate and inform the academic community about the perils of predatory practices. We firmly believe that knowledge is the first defence against these unethical behaviours. In this pursuit, we have undertaken several key initiatives. First and foremost, we have developed a comprehensive teaching module that delves into predatory publishing, unscrupulous publishers, and predatory conferences while elucidating the fundamental principles of Open Access. This teaching module is freely accessible on our website and is primarily designed to empower PhD candidates and early career researchers. It can also be customized for pre-graduate students seeking to navigate the complex world of academic publishing.

Additionally, we have fostered a collaborative environment where scholars, librarians, and other stakeholders come together to share their experiences and insights into predatory practices. Through meaningful discussions, we have created a report that provides a valuable perspective on predatory practices from key stakeholders within the Czech Republic.

Beyond our online resources and discussions, we have actively engaged in awareness campaigns on social networks and participated in conferences worldwide to disseminate our knowledge and findings. Our project website is a repository for all the outcomes generated through these initiatives. You can explore our activities in detail on our "Activities" page.

Starting in September 2023, we proudly announce our participation in the "Roadmap to improve Ethics in Science and Curb prEdatory publishing (RESCUE)" - a consortium that brings together India, Bangladesh, Benin, and the Czech Republic. Supported by IAP, this consortium aims to further our mission of combating predatory practices and, more importantly, elevating scientific publishing ethics. In the upcoming year, we are committed to continuing our awareness initiatives, training librarians from Czech and Slovakia to become trainers, equipping early career researchers with the necessary knowledge, and developing recommendations for training in predatory practices. Together, we strive to foster ethical research practices and safeguard the integrity of the academic world.

The initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Library of the Academy of Sciences, Library of the Czech University of Life Science and members of the Information Education and Information Literacy Working Group (Assoc. of Libraries of Czech Universities).

News

NATURE SERIES ON PREDATORY CONFERENCES MENTIONED OUR INITIATIVE!

The journal Nature has published a series of articles focusing on the growing issue of predatory conferences. Tereza contributed and shared with the author of the articles, Christine Ro, how the Stop Predatory Practices initiative is raising awareness about this issue. Read the three articles here:

read workshop summary Libraries vs. Predators: From Theory to Practice

This workshop, held under the auspices of the Roadmap to Improve Ethics in Science and Curb Predatory Publishing (RESCUE), was collaboratively organised by the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Central Library of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Slovak Library Association, and the Association of Libraries of Czech Universities. The event aimed to foster cooperation among librarians from both countries, share good practices and discuss the region's local specificities regarding predatory issues.

In a hybrid format, the workshop facilitated a blend of theoretical insights and practical, hands-on learning. The morning session focused on delivering theoretical knowledge through expert presentations, whereas the afternoon was devoted to an interactive workshop focused on communicating information about predators among the scientific community, primarily through the methodological analysis of teaching exercises.

This report summarises the workshop proceedings, outlines the discussions, and presents the outcomes and recommendations for future actions. By doing so, it aims to provide a comprehensive overview that reflects the workshop's content and serves as a resource for furthering the fight against predatory practices in scholarly communication in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

>>LINK TO THE REPORT<<

We are part of the RESCUE consortium to combat predatory publishing supported by the IAP

We're proud to announce our participation in the "Roadmap to improve ethics in science and curb predatory publishing (RESCUE)" consortium, supported by the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), and uniting with India, Bangladesh, Benin, and the Czech Republic. Together, we aim to combat predatory publishing practices and elevate ethical standards in academic research.

As part of RESCUE, we'll share best practices in prevention, train librarians, and offer recommendations to support Ph.D. candidates and early career researchers. We'll also enhance our teaching module to equip the academic community with the knowledge to make informed publishing decisions. Join us in this collaborative effort to stop predatory practices and promote integrity in research worldwide. Stay tuned for updates on our progress within the consortium.

Presentation at European Academies' Science Advisory Council

On June 10th 2022, Tereza had the opportunity to present the results of our project at the EASAC Council Meeting in Liblice Castle.

Thanks to the EASAC Council for the invitation!

Learn more about our initiative on vedavyzkum.cz

>>LINK TO THE ARTICLE<<

Presentation at Iatul conference in miami

In July 2022, Kristýna P. represented our initiative at The 42nd International Association of University Libraries (IATUL) Annual Conference 2022 in Miami. Kristýna P. presented a paper entitled "Tools against predators? Transparency, education, and the courage to speak up". It will soon be available in the conference proceedings.

Follow us on social media

Profiles created by the pricipal investigator - Tereza popularizes topics related to open science. Several posts were created specifically for the Stop Predatory Practices initiative.