Introduction The question of whether open access, the movement advocating for free and immediate access to scholarly research, will eventually “die” can be one a provocative debate in academic publishing. It’s a bit like asking if the internet will die: the underlying technology and fundamental human desire for knowledge sharing aren’t going anywhere, but the … Read more
Introduction Welcome to the academic jungle. For years now, a particular species of profiteer has been multiplying rapidly, masquerading as legitimate scholarly communication: the predatory journals. These entities, driven by profit rather than scholarship, exploit the open access publishing model and the academic pressure to “publish or perish.” They promise rapid publication, often for a … Read more
Introduction The relationship between political administrations and the scientific community is always a complex dance, but under Donald Trump, it quickly turned into an aggressive, one-sided tango. For the world of scientific publishing, the impact wasn’t just about uncomfortable headlines. It was a deep, systemic threat to the bedrock of evidence-based research: funding, data access, … Read more
Introduction Most established, indexed journals can still be trusted, but predatory journals, paper mills and a flood of submissions mean no reader can take a journal’s name on faith any more. This article explains what makes a journal trustworthy, how the system is being gamed, and the checks anyone can use to judge a journal. … Read more
Introduction Open access is no longer an add-on to academic publishing. It now covers about half of new articles and around a fifth of journal revenue, so this article asks how the shift happened, how publishers have adapted, and why the real question today is how to make open access fair and sustainable. Key points … Read more