UGC revamps system to weed out dodgy research paper shops

In a series of investigative reports in July, The Indian Express reported on how over 300 “predatory” publishers bring out journals that claim to be international and publish papers for a “charge” ranging from $30-$1,800 per piece.

The UGC has also decided to constitute a committee under Padmanabhan Balaram, former director of IISc-Bangalore, to review existing guidelines on the use of such journals in PhD approvals. (File)

In its first concrete response to an investigation by The Indian Express on how India has emerged as one of the biggest markets for “predatory” publishers of substandard research journals, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to set up a Consortium of Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) to approve a new official list of academic publications.

Bhushan Patwardhan, who was appointed as UGC vice-chairman in September, told The Indian Express that CARE will be operational “within the next three months” to replace the existing system of approval for the official list of research journals.

The UGC has also decided to constitute a committee under Padmanabhan Balaram, former director of IISc-Bangalore, to review existing guidelines on the use of such journals in PhD approvals and recommend a new system “to promote quality in research”.

 “Members of CARE will prepare lists of quality journals in their respective disciplines within a defined timeframe. These lists will be critically analysed and curated for quality by a special cell at the entrusted institution using defined criteria,” Patwardhan said.

Source | https://indianexpress.com/article/education/ugc-revamps-system-to-weed-out-dodgy-research-paper-shops-5469861/

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