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