Monday, April 29, 2019

Ocimum's Foray: into "Forensic Sciences: Methods and Techniques"

Ocimum Scientific Publishers is an Australian company that seems to be reporting revenues of $11 million with journals that are nascent at best. The email to me (4/29/19) speaks of a "second issue" that will appear in June. The website lists three issues of Forensic Sciences: Methods and Techniques as already published, but all three turn out to have the same paltry 38 pages of articles. That mode of publication could makes it challenging if anyone wants to cite their work.

The editorial board has the following U.S. members ("from reputed universities"):
Stephen G Tibbetts, Professor, California State University, San Bernardino (editor-in-chief)
William D Bales, Professor, Florida State University
Vaughn M Bryant, Professor, Texas A&M University
Midori Albert, Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Camille Gibson, Professor, Prairie View A&M University
Sheri Jenkins Keenan, Clinical Assistant Professor, The University of Memphis
Pamela Newell, Assistant Professor, University of North Georgia at Dahlonega
Douglas A Orr, Assistant Professor, University of North Georgia
George Richards, Associate Professor, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Delbert Rounds, Associate Professor, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Pamella A Seay, Professor, Florida Gulf Coast University
Email
  • From: Blake Notman OS [forensic.osp@ocimumscience.com]
    Sent: Monday, April 29, 2019, 1:49:18 AM EDT
    Subject: Are you ready to share your research on criminology
    Professor David Kaye,
    My name is Blake Notman and I am the Editorial Manager at Ocimum Scientific Publishers.
    Journal of Forensic Sciences: Methods and Techniques launched its first issue and planning to launch its second issue in the month of June.
    Under the direction of eminent editorial board members from reputed universities worldwide this journal is growing rapidly and publishing quality research papers since its inception. You can have a look at the papers already published. I believe we can help you to publish your most recent/current research work in this journal, for your convenience, please find the attached author instructions ... .
    I am writing to enquire about your plans to publish your recent/current research work with us. Let me know your plans, so that we can plan accordingly. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know.
    Season benefits, manuscripts submitted in the month of May will be published for 298 USD.
    Looking forward to discussing what we can do for each other in more detail.
    Best wishes,
    Blake Notman
    Editorial Manager
    Ocimum Scientific Publishers, 26 Bourke Crescent, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria 3029, Australia contact@ocimumjournals.com

Ocimum Scientific Publishers (OSP) "is here to help people with insatiable hunger"

Ocimum is the name of a medicinal plant -- and now an Australian publisher of journals. Zoominfo reports that Ocimum has 57 employees and revenue of $11.4 million. For a private company (ABN 57 625 203 376) that came into existence (in Australia, anyway) at the end of March 2018, that is rather impressive. So is the fact that the address for the business (26 Bourke Cres, Hoppers Crossing VIC 3029) is the site of an unimposing three-bedroom house in a residential neighborhood (according to Australian real estate websites). The nearly 60 employees must  be rather cramped. But the work could be outsourced. The email came to me from a server in India. The domain names ocimumjournals.com and ocimumjournals.net were registered by Perfect Privacy in 2018. GoDaddy.com registered ocimumscience.org registered in April 2019.

In any event, the revenue does not seem to be coming from its journals, which are just coming into existence. I looked into the first journal listed on the website, the Journal of Anesthesiology Study and Treatment. It has no editor-in-chief and no issues out yet, but it "publishes papers from all the fields of Anesthesiology Study and Treatment [with] issues for every four months." It "accepts all kinds of manuscripts like Original Research Articles ... ."

One of the editorial board members, John F. Bebawy, of Northwestern University, is a favorite of flaky journals. He is listed as the editor-in-chief of an OMICS journal and a board member with journals at Allied Academies, Annex Publishers, Applis Publishers, ARC, Austin Publishing Group, Chembio Publishers, Clinics in Oncology, Gavin Publishers, Heighten Science, Kosmos Publishers, Lupine Journals, Madridge Publishers, Medwin Publishers, ONOMY Science, Open Access Pub, Openventio, ProClinS, Pubtexto, Pulsus Group, Remedy Publications, SciRes Literature, SciTechnol, SeriesScience International, SOAOJ, Unique Pub International, Zygoscient, and lots more. I figure that no one, no matter how desirous of a lengthy C.V., would sign up with so many journals. If so, the list is evidence of fraudulent practices on the part of at least some of them.

OSP's About Us page has the flowery phrases and ESL constructions seen among its competitors. Its "primary aim is to raise the bar for publishing quality research work and maintaining high standards in double blind peer review process, we assure you that. We will put our best efforts in maintaining trust among scientific world with Ocimum Scientific Publishers."Raising the bar to publishing quality research may not achieve the desired "betterment of scientific world," but, hey, OSP is just starting.
Email
  • From: Blake Notman OS [forensic.osp@ocimumscience.com]
    Sent: Monday, April 29, 2019, 1:49:18 AM EDT
    Subject: Are you ready to share your research on criminology
    Professor David Kaye,
    My name is Blake Notman and I am the Editorial Manager at Ocimum Scientific Publishers.
    Journal of Forensic Sciences: Methods and Techniques launched its first issue and planning to launch its second issue in the month of June.
    Under the direction of eminent editorial board members from reputed universities worldwide this journal is growing rapidly and publishing quality research papers since its inception. You can have a look at the papers already published. I believe we can help you to publish your most recent/current research work in this journal, for your convenience, please find the attached author instructions ... .
    I am writing to enquire about your plans to publish your recent/current research work with us. Let me know your plans, so that we can plan accordingly. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know.
    Season benefits, manuscripts submitted in the month of May will be published for 298 USD.
    Looking forward to discussing what we can do for each other in more detail.
    Best wishes,
    Blake Notman
    Editorial Manager
    Ocimum Scientific Publishers
    26 Bourke Crescent, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria 3029, Australia contact@ocimumjournals.com

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Scimaze Joins the Rat Race

Scimaze Palliative and Nursing Care has invited me to submit articles and to apply to be an editorial board member. Although I have no background or qualifications in the field, I suppose my contributions would be valuable relative to what else is there. The journal's website is largely an empty shell. It has tabs for articles in press, a current issue, an archive, and an editor-in-chief, but there are no entries. The editorial board consists of assistant professors in Tokyo and Iran. That is better than most of the other Scimaze journals, which have no editors and no content at all.

Nevertheless, for $519, they will be happy to "process" articles. One hopes that the processing results in better composed work than what the publisher has on its About Us page. There, we learn that
★ Scimaze Group ... works towards taking research innovatively to a certain limelight
★ Our international journals has made place among the top scientific journals [← That is quite an accomplishment considering that the 16 journals have published only five articles.]
★ Our journal is protuberant for the seriousness of the research work
★ We work for a cause to take the research work to a level never seen before.
★ We work with the intention of providing a better future for the mankind.
One Scimaze journal does have an editor-in-chief. He is "Nelson Howard Hendler, Assistant professor, Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine Johns Hopkins University." At this point, Dr. Hendler is the only one who has written anything for the journal he edits, Scimaze Anaethesia and Pain Managment. The photograph is that of a young man, but the biographical description states that Dr. Hendler graduated from Princeton University in 1966 and taught at Johns Hopkins for 31 years -- apparently from 1975-2006.. In 2006, Dr. Hendler had his medical license suspended because of allegations that he "traded drugs for sex with patients and handed out pain pills without proper prescriptions." Fred Schulte, Md. Board Suspends Doctor's License, Baltimore Sun, Feb. 9, 2006. The details are rather lurid. Dr. Hendler edits a journal for another shell publisher, Crimson Publications.

The domain name scimaze.com was registered a year ago by Domains by Proxy. The server is in India, and the contact information on the website supplies the incomplete address of Harijan Street, Gajularega, Vizianagaram-535002, India.
Email
  • From: Scimaze Palliative and Nursing Care [nursingcare@scimaze.com]
    Date: April 27, 2019 7:24 AM
    Subject: Palliative and Nursing Care
    Dear Dr. David H Kaye,
    Greetings. Scimaze Palliative and Nursing Care is an open access journal which covers all case studies in the clincal and medical field. The journal solicits Case reports, Case Series, Image Articles, editorials and Letter to Editors etc.
    Due Date. Article submitted by the month of 25 May 2019 will be highly appreciated. If it is not feasible for you to submit paper in this month, then kindly let us know your feasible time for contribution for further issue submissions
    With kind regards,
    Joe Thomas
    Journal Coordinator
    Scimaze Palliative and Nursing Care
    Note: if you are interested to serve as an editorial board member and reviewer, kindly send your CV, Biography, Research interest and photograph.
    You are receiving this email because of your relationship with the sender [← Yes, I am the spamee.]

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Who Lives in the Biomed Nest?

Biomed Nest is "so much Enthusiastic." It wants "to bring out open Research." It has a long way to go.

No journals are listed on its website (4/18/19). Most links lead a page urging the viewer to "submit manuscript." Although there is a reference to "Biomed Research Nest" as a journal with "sections" such as "Enviroment," this journal does not seem to exist. But it will have two "special issues" -- one on cervical cancer (inasmuch as "The cervix is the narrow tube at the lower part of the uterus") and another on oral and dental research (because "Oral and Dental Health is a crucial part of our well being" and "Poor oral sanitation can lead to gum disease").

The positions held by the "Academic Editors" of the "Prestigious Editorial Board" are not listed, so I tried to check on a few. Amro M Ali is an instructor in the ophthalmology department of New York Medical College in Valhalla. Kameshwar R Ayasolla is not a researcher at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. (At least, the Institute's website does not have his name on the list. However, he might have some other affiliation with this "research branch of the Northwell Health enterprise ... headquartered in Manhasset, NY," for the organization is composed of more than 1,500 clinicians, scientists and staff.")

The website also advertises two conferences as if they are inside the Nest. In fact, these Singapore conferences carry the name of the questionable conference organizer, Biomedical Conferences.

The domain biomednest.com was registered about two months ago by Domains By Proxy. The address of the nest is 17389 Nature Walk Trail Parker, CO 80134, where condominiums are located.
Email
  • From: biomed nest [medical@biomednest.com]
    Date: Apr 18 2019 5:35 AM
    Subject: Join our Editorial Board
    Dear Dr. D H Kaye,
    Hope this email finds you well.
    I am in search of Reviewers and Academic editors for our journal in order to strengthen the overall quality of Journal’s publication. Hence, I request you to support us by joining our board.
    Please let me know if you will be able to review or Edit for us. If yes, drop your cv to this email id.
    Await your acceptance.
    Best wishes,
    Annie Brown
    If you wish not to receive my emails visit us
  • From: Biomednest [medical@biomednest.net]
    Date: Apr. 24 2019 8:43 AM
    Subject: Acknowledge this email
    [Identical message from Annie]

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

OMICS ordered to pay $50 million for deceptive practices

A few days ago, a U.S. District Court held Srinubabu Gedela and his companies, the OMICS Group, iMedPub, and Conference Series, liable for over $50 million. It also issued a permanent injunction against many deceptive practices on the part of this nest of companies and the various other entities through which they operate (such as Allied Academies, Meetings International, and Pulsus). Excerpts from the opinion that describe the deceptive practices are below. 1/

Needless to say, Dr. Gedala, who is something of a celebrity in India, 2/ has tried to discredit the FTC's claims. In an interview with the Indian Express last summer, he crowed that the FTC had "not proved a single thing" and that "[w]e have also filed against them for $3.11 billion." Previously, he threatened Jeffrey Beall, the librarian who placed OMICS on a list of "predatory journals" with a one billion dollar lawsuit but did not pursue it because Beall "is not capable of paying the damages. So, it is useless. But we are fighting the FTC case, which we have taken very seriously."

The district court found against Dr. Gedala and his companies without a trial. It determined that defendants produced no acceptable evidence to contradict the proof submitted by the FTC, entitling the FTC to summary judgment. In the Indian Express interview, Dr. Gedala had this to say about the FTC's allegations: "The FTC don’t know the definition of journal. They don’t know what peer review is. They are illiterates. Scientists are not illiterates." He did not discuss the complaints and the affidavits from scientists that the FTC supplied to the court.

OMICS's plans to appeal the judgment. 3/

Federal Trade Commission v. OMICS Group, Inc.
No. 2:16-cv-02022-GMN-VCF
(D. Nev. Mar. 29, 2019)

The FTC brings this action ... alleging that Defendants engaged in unfair and deceptive practices with respect to the publication of online academic journals and organization of scientific conferences. ... Defendants claim to operate hundreds of online academic journals on a wide variety of topics, including medicine, chemistry, nursing, engineering, and genetics. ... In order to persuade consumers to submit articles for publication, the FTC alleges that Defendants make numerous misrepresentations regarding the nature and reputation of their journals. ... The FTC also alleges that Defendants fail to disclose the significant fees associated with their publishing services. ... Finally, the FTC alleges that Defendants make numerous misrepresentations in connection with the marketing of their scientific conferences. ...

Defendants OMICS, iMedPub, and Conference Series are corporate entities registered in the United States with a principle place of business located in Hyderabad, India. ... Each entity shares the same principal address at SEZ Unit, Building No. 20, 9th Floor, APIIC Layout, HITEC City, Hyderabad, AP 500081. ... Furthermore, each entity at various points has utilized common addresses for their United States locations and business registrations. ... In general, these entities operate as a group with comingled assets. ... Gedela is the sole owner and founding director of the three Corporate Defendants. Gedela first began using the fictitious business name “OMICS Publishing Group” for his publishing and conference services in 2009. ... Until at least 2015, Gedela held revenue from the Corporate Defendants in a Citibank account set up in Palo Alto for OMICS Publishing Group. ...

Defendants advertise throughout their websites and email solicitations that they strictly adhere to standard peer-review practices. For example, in 2014, Defendants published web pages stating that OMICS had 25,000 experts serving as editorial board members and reviewers, and that “[a]ll articles submitted for publication are subjected to a blind peer review.” ... Over the years, this number has grown to over 50,000 purported experts serving as board members and reviewers for over 700+ “leading-edge peer reviewed” journals. ... Consistently, Defendants have represented their peer review policies as “highly appreciated, accepted and adaptable” to the criteria set forth by agencies such as PubMed. ...

In contradiction to these assertions, however, the FTC submits evidence indicating that Defendants’ peer review practices are a “sham.” ... For example, in certain instances, consumers who submitted articles were approved for publication within just several days of submission. ... In others, consumers reported receiving no comments or proposed revisions from peer reviewers. ... The consumers who did receive feedback from reviewers have noted that it was not substantive. ...

In 2012, John Bohannon—a scientist and writer for Science magazine—submitted two articles to Defendants’ journals with intentionally “egregious” scientific flaws. ... Defendants’ journals accepted the flawed papers without any substantive comments or review. ... Similarly, in 2016, a journalist for the Ottawa Citizen submitted an “unintelligible” article containing ungrammatical sentences and invented words. ... Defendants’ journal published the article without any edits and without contacting the author prior to publication. ... After reviewing these cases, the FTC’s expert Joyce Backus concluded that the papers were not subjected to peer review “as that term is understood in the academic publishing industry.” ...

In addition to consumer commentary, the FTC also submits statements from multiple of Defendants’ journal editors. ... In these statements, the editors indicate that they never received any manuscripts to review. ... Based on documents received through discovery, the FTC asserts that out of 69,000 published articles, only 49% indicate that some form of review was conducted. ...

Defendants advertise that their publications are reviewed and edited by as many as 50,000 experts. In support of this claim, Defendants’ websites include hundreds of names, pictures, and biographies of scientists and researchers allegedly serving on editorial boards. Upon the FTC contacting several listed editors, however, many indicated that they had never agreed to be affiliated with OMICS. ... Furthermore, in some instances, Defendants continued to use the researchers’ names even after they requested removal. ... More generally, the FTC notes that Defendants have only been able to produce a list of 14,598 unique editors and evidence of an agreement to serve as an editor for only 380 individuals. ...

Defendants advertise throughout their websites and solicitation emails that their publications have high “impact factors.” ... These advertisements include express representations, such as “OMICS International journals are among the top high impact factor academic journals which are publishing scholarly articles constantly.” ... Defendants admit that their journals do not have Thomson Reuters impact factors. ... Rather, Defendants’ impact factors are self-calculated ratios based on the number of citations found through a Google Scholar search. ... Defendants’ websites contain inconsistent descriptions of how their impact factors are calculated. ...

Defendants represent that their publications are indexed in reputable indexing services. ... For example, Defendants repeatedly indicate that their journals are indexed in [the national Library of Medicine’s] Medline and PubMed Central. ... At various points, Defendants have even utilized PubMed and Medline’s logos on their websites. ... Despite these representations, Defendants admit that none of their journals are indexed in PubMed Central or Medline. ... Instead, Defendants claim that more than 900 well-respected scientists have recommended OMICS’ journals to be published in PubMed central. ... Nonetheless, NLM has explicitly refused to index Defendants’ publications due to questionable publishing practices and requested that Defendants cease indicating any affiliation. ... Despite NLM’s requests, Defendants have continued to indicate their journals’ inclusion in Medline and PubMed Central. ...

Defendants frequently send out solicitation emails inviting individuals to submit articles to Defendants’ online publications. ... In numerous instances, these email solicitations contain no mention of any fees associated with Defendants’ publication service. ... Defendants have continued this practice even after the Court’s entry of its preliminary injunction. ... Defendants’ solicitation emails invite consumers to submit articles for publication by responding directly to the email. ... Additionally, Defendants solicit article submissions through their online portals. ... In many instances, Defendants’ article homepages do not contain clear reference to fees associated with submitting articles. ... In other instances, Defendants’ fee disclosures are contained on secondary webpages but lack specificity. ... Notably, consumers going to a journal’s homepage can submit a manuscript without ever seeing any fee disclosures.

Some consumers only learn of Defendants’ fees after Defendants have accepted their articles for publication. ... Furthermore, when consumers contest Defendants’ publication fees and ask their articles to be withdrawn, Defendants have ignored the requests and continued demanding payment. ... In some instances, Defendants only removed the articles after the threat of legal action. ... In addition to economic harm, this conduct prevents authors from submitting their work to other journals. ... The Court notes, however, that at least one consumer has found the publication fees to be clearly disclosed. ...

In addition to online publishing, Defendants also organize conferences on various scientific topics. ... In order to attract consumers, Defendants advertise the attendance and participation of prominent academics and researchers. ... The FTC has provided evidence, however, that Defendants advertise the attendance and participation of these individuals without their permission or actual affiliation. ... In numerous instances, individuals have requested unsuccessfully to have their names removed from Defendants’ conference advertising materials. ... In some instances, Defendants did not remove an individuals’ name until the threat of legal action. ... According to the FTC’s sampling of 100 conferences, approximately 60% advertised organizers or participants who had not agreed to serve in such capacity. ...
NOTE
  1.  The FTC complaint, motion for summary judgment, and the court's orders are available from the FTC's website.
  2. See, e.g., Hyderabad Scientist Receives ‘Champions of Change’ Award, The Times of India, Dec 31, 2018.
  3. Jeffrey Brainard, U.S. Judge Rules Deceptive Publisher Should Pay $50 Million in Damages, Science, Apr. 3, 2019.