To fulfill the apparently increasing interest and the need for knowledge in the area of unethical practices in research output publications. Peer review (blind, double-blind, etc.) is one of the proxies and is a cornerstone of academic publishing and in turn a proxy for quality. One of the fundamental principles in academic peer review is that there must be a chance that one's argument or methodologies used to determine findings and reach the conclusions in the draft manuscript can be refuted on the basis of stronger , proven theories and methodologies. , therefore, which may result in the article being refused publication.
When we think of 'quality' or 'excellence' in science, we most likely think of the 'truth' of our research and results: Will our results pass the test of 'peer review'; scrutiny of other researchers working on the same topics. Is it wrong for an author to publish a disproportionately large number of articles in the same issue of a journal volume. In the case of predatory publishing, it is often argued that academics who do this (and especially consistently over time) are complicit in violating good editorial practice (lack of peer review/intentional deception of editorial practice/pursuit of profit over genuine scholarship).
In the case of excessive publication by an editor or editorial board members, it is again argued that peer review may be compromised, especially if there is insufficient transparency about journal review processes. In the event that the senior academic insists on co-authorship with junior faculty or students in all or most cases, it is argued that good practice in terms of the rules of authorship (e.g. the degree of contribution) may be violated. But what are the principles at work in the case of an author who ends up publishing multiple articles in the same issue of a journal? questionable copyright practices) and/or simply greed (chasing the money.
Science as an institution is unique in that it is one of the few self-organizing systems in society.
Violations of the DHET
Unethical (fraudulent) publication practices
Continued publication in predatory journals
Excessive numbers of contributions to a single issue of a journal/ Salami- publishing as a form of gaming behaviour
Submission of excessive conference contributions that do not meet the Policy criteria
Claiming subsidy for a book publication when it is in fact a Master’s or doctoral thesis
New forms of excessive behaviour
Continued publishing in predatory journals
Scope Database: Claims to be a collection of bibliographic citation databases of scientific research results and “the most reliable global citation database in the world.”
Excessive publication in a single volume (or issue) of a journal
Prevalence and correlates of angina pectoris among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico Prevalence and correlates of arthritis among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico. Prevalence and correlates of back pain among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico Prevalence and correlates of cataract among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico Prevalence and correlates of depression among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico. Prevalence and correlates of edentulism in a national sample of older adults in Mexico. Prevalence and correlates of loneliness among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico. Prevalence and correlates of obesity among older adults in Mexico: a national cross-sectional survey.
Prevalence and correlates of oral health problems among a nationally representative sample of older adults in Mexico. Prevalence and correlates of past and current tobacco use among a nationally representative sample of older adults in Mexico Prevalence and correlates of risky alcohol use among a nationally representative sample of older adults in Mexico. Prevalence and correlates of short and long sleep among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico Prevalence and correlates of stroke among a nationally representative population sample of older adults in Mexico.
Prevalence, social and health correlates of sleep problems among a nationally representative population-based sample of older adults in Mexico. 15 articles submitted (translated to a claim of R1.8 million) by the same two authors in one journal (Journal of Disability and Human Development) in ONE issue (vol. 19:3) available only as an e- book you have to buy for $135……And the same two authors have. Submission of too many conference papers in one Proceedings that do not meet the policy criteria.
Submission of excessive conference contributions in one Proceedings that do not meet the Policy criteria
Student theses submitted as books
New forms of unethical behaviour
BUT the real problem becomes apparent when one inspects the latest issue of the journal. This is the third issue of the journal and consists of 91 articles, 69 of which are authored by SA authors. A Gender Impact Analysis of Kusile and Medupi Investments on Employment by Economic Sectors in South Africa: Applying Social Accounting Matrix.
Agenda-setting effects of corporate reporting on the corporate reputation of South African mines. An analysis of police perspectives on road fatalities and road user behavior in Umlazi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. An analysis of plastic regulations in tackling increasing plastic shopping bag litter in South Africa. An assessment of community policing partnerships in combating human trafficking in South Africa. Exploring a holistic road safety model to prevent pedestrian fatalities in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Gender-Based Labor Income Dynamics in 34 Economic Sectors in South Africa: An Implication of the Kusile and Medupi Infrastructure Investment Programme. Gender equality in South Africa: Incorporating African culture into the constitution Hetero-patriarchy as an impulse of tragedy in Can Themba's The Suit. Managing repeat offender information in South Africa: The need for a Vehicle Crime Information Management Strategy.
The Endless Dilemma: Victimization of Sexual Assault Survivors in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. A Note on Fiscal and Monetary Policy Development in Nigeria and South Africa A Parent-Practitioner Partnership in Early Childhood Education. Earlier forms of blatant game-playing continue (especially in conference proceedings) while new forms emerge.
It is important to emphasize that we do not believe that the unethical behavior we have identified and continue to identify is representative of the majority of SA. But even if these practices only represent 2 or 3% of the population, the damage they cause is enormous – both in terms of monetary consequences, but more importantly, also in terms of public confidence in the system. The aim of the proposed Publications Quality Framework (PQF) for higher education in South Africa is to ensure that all critical education is safeguarded.
Production of the publication/Authoring of a publication
The challenge Actions/ interventions
- Submission of manuscript to an accredited or recognized journal
- Submission of conference presentations to scientific conferences
- Submission of book/chapter to publishers
- University checks and submits publications for subsidy on ROSS
- Develop and establish an open access website that provides a
- Establish routines to improve the efficiency of the publication and creative outputs submissions process and procedures including the capturing of
- Establish routines to ensure more efficiency of the research outputs
- Implementing and monitoring of a journal quality and integrity index (JQII) of all accredited SA journals on an annual basis (CREST, ASSAf and DHET)
- Implementing a revised annual journal cluster review process conducted by ASSAf panels (ASSAf)
- Development and ongoing monitoring of a list of accredited publishers (CREST and DHET)
- Development and ongoing monitoring of a list of accredited conference proceeding titles. (CREST and DHET)
- Monitoring of the quality assurance policies, systems and procedures of the individual universities (CREST and DHET)
- Production of an annual M&E report combining the results of activities 1 – 5 (CREST and ASSAf)
- Provision of support to staff at University research offices (and related institutions) to enroll for academic courses in the
- Provision of funding for junior and middle-level research
- Provision of funding to SARIMA to develop new seminars and workshops (in conjunction with universities) in these domains
- Provide ongoing support to CREST to maintain, update and expand its SAKnowledgebase for optimal use by the DHET, universities and other role-
- Provide support for the establishment of a ‘ community of practice ’ of SA scholars to pursue research on topics including scientific publishing, open
- In the specific case of scholarly publishing – the opportunities for fraudulent and unethical practices that have been made possible
- Incentive and reward systems that increasingly result in perverse, unintended consequences
- A culture of performance management that pervades every aspect of our academic culture
The DHET policy requires institutions to submit revised grant applications for research results appearing in approved journals. However, it is now well documented (not only in the CREST and ASSAf studies, but also in various overseas publications) that (a) international journal indexes and lists do not actually exercise sufficient quality control; and (b) that some local SA journals also do not meet acceptable quality levels and. regardless of whether these journals are indexed), must be subjected to a strict and. The journal is transparent and truthful in the information it provides about journal-related information.
Universities currently submit conference proceedings to DHET without any standardization of names. A proposed measure to address these challenges within the framework is to implement a decision already contained in the 2015 Research Outcomes Policy. The policy specifically states that only conference proceedings that are on the list of approved conference titles will be eligible for the subsidy.
Universities continue to allow submission of articles to journals that are not on the list of approved journals, including journals that are still designated as. Universities must take full responsibility and take necessary steps where steps are required to sanction continuous doubt. ACTIVITY 2: Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the quality and integrity of all DHET submissions through rigorous and regular monitoring of all SA journals, development and monitoring of a list of accredited book publishers and.
ACTIVITY 3: Development and implementation of educational and capacity-building interventions around good practice in scientific publishing. ACTIVITY 4: Support ongoing research and analysis of SA scientific publishing practices to maintain the necessary levels of vigilance and ensure that public investment in the grant systems meets the highest standards of research quality and integrity. ACTIVITY 2: Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the quality and integrity of all submissions to DHET (CREST/ASSAf).
In the specific case of scholarly publishing – the opportunities for fraudulent and unethical practices made possible by the digital and OA movements. It should also be added that these factors thrive in a climate of financial austerity in higher education that itself fosters unhealthy competition between academics and researchers and forces universities to focus on quantity and volume rather than quality and value. In the last instance, solving the challenges discussed in this presentation cannot be the sole responsibility of one government department or agency or.
Individual scientists (academics and students) must recognize that they have a responsibility to ensure that their own research and publication practices meet the highest standards of quality and integrity in scientific research.
