Extent of publishing in predatory journals by academics in higher education institutions in Zimbabwe: A case study of a university

The publish or perish concept requires academics to ensure that they take part in research and publish the research results in academic journals. The emergency of predatory publishers has led to negativity in the scholarly publishing process. Some researchers are unaware that some publishers are unethical. A study was conducted to determine the extent of predatory publishing in Zimbabwe among academics. A survey was carried out using a multi-method approach at a public university in Zimbabwe. Articles published between 2012 and 2022 were retrieved using the Harzing publish or perish software. In total, 977 articles were retrieved, and after data cleaning using Open Refine, 357 records were analyzed using the journal evaluation rubric and scoring sheet to note the extent of predatory publishing among the various schools. The articles were then classified into 3 sections i.e., predatory, not predatory, and borderline. The findings revealed that predatory publishing is prevalent in the social sciences. The authors recommend the importance of training to create awareness about the dangers of predatory publishing and how to avoid them to improve the scholarly output of the institution, which is key to university ranking.

Automated summary

The concept of publish or perish requires academics to engage in research and publish their findings in academic journals. However, the emergence of predatory publishers has introduced unethical practices into scholarly publishing. A study conducted at a public university in Zimbabwe aimed to determine the prevalence of predatory publishing among academics. The findings revealed a high incidence of predatory publishing in the social sciences. The authors recommend training and awareness programs to mitigate the dangers of predatory publishing and improve the scholarly output of the institution, which is critical for university rankings.