Predatory Journals: Science Fraud

Academic publications are moving from a pay-per-read model to a pay-per-publication model. These journals are free to read, but charge the author publication fees in advance (APCs). Although many of the open access journals are legal and reputable, there is a thriving black market economy of open access journals that take advantage of authors and the growing publishing pressure on the academic community. They are so-called predatory journals that mask existing publications for the sole purpose of financial gain. This article analyzes the phenomenon, the forms it presents, the agents, the consequences and the contamination on the scientific communication system.