Scientific spammer.
JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, is an innovative video journal. However, the journal is mercenary and demonstrating at least a couple characteristics of predatory journals.
JoVE — which is not on my list — is a subscription journal, and it’s expensive. However, the publication uses the “delayed open-access” model, so its videos are made open access and re-published by the United States Government in PubMed Central after two years.
It also uses the “hybrid open-access” model, in which authors are given the opportunity to pay extra and have the content made open-access immediately upon publication. This option, however, costs the authors $4200. Like some predatory journals, JoVE charges both authors and subscribers.
Like most predatory journals, JoVE sends unwarranted spam emails. Here’s one that was forwarded to me recently:
From: Indrani Mukherjee Ph.D. [indrani_mukherjee@jove.com]
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016
To: [Redacted]
Subject: Publication InquiryDear Dr. [Redacted],
I recently came across your paper, [Redacted]. As a Science Editor with JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, I am interested in speaking with you about the possibility of publishing your methods as a peer-reviewed video article.
JoVE is the leading peer-reviewed video methods journal. Authors submit a traditional text manuscript, and we take care of the entire process of filming and producing your video. The JoVE video article below by the Orkin lab at Harvard Medical School is an example of the high quality video articles we produce.
Is there a time Wednesday or Thursday that we could have a brief conversation?
Sincerely,
Indrani Mukherjee Ph.D.
Indrani Mukherjee Ph.D.
Science Editor
JoVE
One Alewife Center, Suite 200, Cambridge, MA 02140
This spam email was sent to a researcher in North America whose research does not fall into the scope of JoVE. The researcher is at a business school and the paper is a case study that does not use any lab-based or experimental methodology.
I am also concerned that the spam email is signed by someone who identifies herself as a “Science Editor.” Given the facts surrounding the communication, I think “sales representative” is a more appropriate term.
Indrani Mukherjee, who signed the spam. We’re on the fence here too.
Summary: JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, charges both subscribers and authors and is expensive. It sends inappropriate spam emails to researchers, following the practice of many predatory publishers and journals.
