Fake Science: How Predatory Publishers Exploiting Academic Trust
Published research doesn't always mean it's good research. On the contrary, predatory publications are one of the biggest money-making industries of the modern era. They exploit the "more publications = more reputation" landscape of academia, and their biggest contributors are industries that use science for scamming.
The global academic publishing market was valued at approximately $28.4 billion to $34.2 billion in recent years, with projections indicating steady expansion through the next decade (ala.org, 2024).
For context:
That Horlicks ad claiming that drinking Horlicks would make you stronger, taller, and sharper; those cigarette ads that convinced people Camel was the brand doctors preferred; or toothpaste studies showing that most dentists chose their brand.
All the studies cited in these ads were funded by those same brands and published in Q1-level journals (the highest tier, for those who don't speak research) and top-tier conferences thanks to these predators. They continue to scam and mislead consumers and the general public.
If you're still not convinced, look at the following paper that actually ended up getting published: Check this
To fight this, whistleblowers like Jeffrey Beall stepped up. He created his own blacklist of predatory publications, but he was eventually threatened and forced to stop by these predators. Here is an archived copy of his list: https://beallslist.net
The intention of this short research write-up is not to devalue anyone's work or reputation, nor to douse your burning desire to publish... this is simply my way of raising awareness about the current state of scientific research.
Even people who don't trust God or doctors still trust science. Science has become like a religion with the most loyal followers, people who rarely question it, especially in critical domains like healthcare, finance, and drug discovery. But these predators exploit that faith in science much like corrupt leaders exploit religion, and we should not allow that in science.
Research is not a performance metric; it's a lifestyle. Publications are not KPIs; they are sparks to kindle the fire of future research.
These are my thoughts at this point in my life, how I feel and what I understand about research today. They are prone to change, as I continue to learn and evolve through experience, just like anyone else.
