Bogus academic journals undermine science in SA
Predatory publishing — in which bogus journals publish academic research for a fee — threatens to undermine science in SA. This is the warning from academics at Stellenbosch University‚ who say Blade Nzimande’s Department of Higher Education and Training has wasted up to R300m on research grants to scientists whose work ended up in sham journals. Johann Mouton and Astrid Valentine say between 2005 and 2014, more than a quarter of the research output at three universities ended up in bogus journals. They are Mangosuthu University of Technology in Durban; the University of Fort Hare in Alice; and Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha. The two academics‚ from the Centre for Research on Evaluation‚ Science and Technology‚ say urgent action is needed from the Department of Higher Education and Training‚ the Council on Higher Education and the National Research Foundation. "[Predatory publishing] poses a serious challenge to science‚" they say in the South African Journal of Science. "If it...
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