In a significant move, Clarivate, an information analytics company, has announced the exclusion of 82 journals from the Web of Science core collection. This action has stripped these journals of their Impact Factor, a crucial metric in the academic world. This decision by Clarivate arises amidst growing concerns over certain scientific publishers allegedly circumventing the peer review process and publishing articles that lack scientific rigor in exchange for high publication fees, often funded by taxpayers.
At the onset of this year, Clarivate had flagged more than 500 journals for review. Following thorough investigations, over 50 of these journals did not meet Clarivate's quality criteria, resulting in their removal from the list. This development has broadly impacted both major commercial publishing houses and smaller or society publishers globally.
Among the publishers, Hindawi LTD experienced the most significant impact with 15 journals removed, followed by Wiley-Hindawi and Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis LTD, each having four journals delisted. Other notable publishers affected include AME Publishing Company, BMJ Publishing Group, MDPI, Sage Publications LTD, Springer, Springer Heidelberg, and Wiley.
A critical aspect of this situation is the proportion of delisted journals relative to the total number of journals each publisher has in the core collection. Wiley-Hindawi, AME Publishing Company, and Hindawi LTD have faced the most significant impact, with significant percentages of their journals being delisted. The partnership between Wiley and Hindawi has drawn global criticism, particularly due to Hindawi's controversial reputation.
Clarivate has indicated that more journals might be removed in the upcoming months. The list of delisted journals as of March 2023 is extensive and includes titles from various disciplines and publishers.
In response to queries from authors of the affected journals, Clarivate has assured that previously indexed articles will remain in the Web of Science for titles published before certain dates. However, articles published after these dates will not be indexed, a decision that lies solely with Clarivate.
This situation has stirred up considerable discussion in the academic world. Clarivate's actions aim to uphold the scientific integrity of the Web of Science. The case of MDPI's International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) is particularly noteworthy. The journal was delisted for failing to meet the "content relevance" criterion, despite publishing around 17,000 articles in 2022 and having a short average submission-to-publication time.
The implications of these delistings are significant for authors, especially those relying on performance-based funding linked to the Journal Impact Factor. While Clarivate's move is aimed at maintaining scientific integrity, it also raises questions about the practices of certain publishers, like MDPI, which has faced accusations of prioritizing economic interests over scientific ethics.
In light of these developments, researchers and institutions are encouraged to exercise due diligence before submitting articles to journals, keeping in mind the potential for predatory practices. The Charité, through its Medical Library, continues to support Open Access publishing, ensuring high standards in various publishing services based on transparent criteria.
Technium Science continues the developement of rigurous review and consolidated international unbiased publication and this year we will ask WOS to evaluate all Technium Science journals for inclusion. The mission of the Technium Center for Scientific Integrity, the parent organization of Technium Science, is to promote transparency and integrity in science and scientific publishing, and to disseminate best practices and increase efficiency in science. We will work closely with the SCAB - Scientific Committee and Advisory Board for adding/ removing names from journal boards and to improve the quality of the published scientific content.
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Technium Science journals are indexed in IndexCopernicus Database
Technium journal has been indexed in the Copernicus database by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MSHE) on the list of scientific journals recommended for authors to publish their articles.
Thanks to this, Polish scientists who publish articles in Technium journal will receive 40 points for their scientific achievements which are necessary for the evaluation of scientists and universities in Poland.
