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"It is not our policy to pay authors .Instead, the authors should pay $50 per page."

  • 18-05-2011 12:38PM
    #1
    Kadongy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 732 ✭✭✭


    I'm a research postgrad. I received an email from a publisher indicating they wanted to publish a recent conference paper which I was the primary author of in a journal.

    I just noticed this in the information for authors.
    "It is not our policy to pay authors .Instead, the authors should pay $50 per page."

    I presume I have not misunderstood: I am correct in thinking this is a vanity publishing service?, and has little-to-no credibility?

    So be wary of emails like this I guess, assuming I am not mistaken. Easy to sound a bit foolish mentioning it before reading all the detail


Comments

  • #2
    cgc5483
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 643 ✭✭✭cgc5483


    Kadongy wrote: »
    I'm a research postgrad. I received an email from a publisher indicating they wanted to publish a recent conference paper which I was the primary author of in a journal.

    I just noticed this in the information for authors.



    I presume I have not misunderstood: I am correct in thinking this is a vanity publishing service?, and has little-to-no credibility?

    So be wary of emails like this I guess, assuming I am not mistaken. Easy to sound a bit foolish mentioning it before reading all the detail


    Believe it or not the vast majority of journals charge for you to publish peer reviewed work. Varies quite signficantly and how charged but a page charge would be quite common.

    In this case it looks it not a peer-reviewed publication which and is unlikely to be indexed in something like PubMed or Web of Science. Best to check this.

    Have seen colleagues recieve such unsolicated communications.


  • #3
    PCPhoto
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,584 ✭✭✭PCPhoto


    of course they want to print your paper .... they want your money !!


  • #4
    opinion guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,000 ✭✭✭✭opinion guy


    A page charge for publication is not particularly unusual. A journal emailing you to persuade you to publish with them and then charge you seems very unusual to me!!!!

    If your work is publishable - then odds are you can find a journal with no page charges to publish it, or even a respectable journal with page charges to publish it. I seriously doubt you need the journal that cold-calls you to extort you to publish your work


  • #5
    Gaspode
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,058 ✭✭✭Gaspode


    I cant recall ever having to pay to get a paper published. Seems bogus to me.


  • #6
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,580 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    Most Journals charge for colour figures but that's about it.


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  • #7
    Kadongy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 732 ✭✭✭Kadongy


    Fee-based open access journals

    Fee-based open access journals require payment on behalf of the author. The money might come from the author but more often comes from the author's research grant or employer. In cases of economic hardship, many journals will waive all or part of the fee. (This generally includes instances where the authors come from a less developed country). Journals charging publication fees normally take various steps to ensure that editors conducting peer review do not know whether authors have requested, or been granted, fee waivers, or to ensure that every paper is approved by an independent editor with no financial stake in the journal.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access_journal#Fee-based_open_access_journals

    I am so surprised


  • #8
    opinion guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,000 ✭✭✭✭opinion guy


    Yeah there is also a thing nowadays where journals will give you a choice. Either they will publish it for free with them retaining copyright, or they will sign over copyright to you but will charge you a fee of 3000EUR or so.


  • #9
    Turbulent Bill
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 1,640 ✭✭✭Turbulent Bill


    Charging for publication isn't a big deal once it's done right. The IEEE Transactions I'm dealing with at the moment (very well respected) has a voluntary per-page charge for papers up to 8 pages, with a mandatory per-page charge for anything over this (can be waived by the editor). There are also steep charges for printed colour pages (free online). It's stated explicitly that whether or not you pay the voluntary charges has no effect on the publication - the peer review and acceptance is completed before the charges are calculated.

    Publishing is still a very expensive business, and I've no real issue contributing to the printing cost. That said, if I was cold-called about publishing in an unknown journal I'd be very wary.


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