MedCrave Update: It’s Still a Dangerous, Predatory Publisher

Watch where you step.

I first wrote about the Hyderabad, India-based, open-access publisher MedCrave soon after it launched in April, 2014. Since that time, the publisher has grown and continued to pillage and plunder the terrain of scientific integrity.

By my count, MedCrave currently has 87 open-access journals in its portfolio (see Appendix 2, below). In June, 2014, I reported that it had 20 titles. The publisher is a clone of OMICS International in the sense that it copies their predatory, exploitative, and dishonest business practices. Some comments left on my blog identify MedCrave’s owner as B. Sudhip Reddy, but I haven’t been able to confirm this.

The publisher is currently spamming to celebrate open-access week. I received one of the spam emails, and I’ve reproduced it below in Appendix 1. The spam says,

On the occasion of Open Access week we are glad to provide complete waiver on the publishing fee of articles, received before October 31, 2016.

However, the fine print, later in the spam email, says,

Note: Only processing charges of $222 will be charged towards DOI number after article publication.

This is deceptive. Each DOI only costs a dollar, so this fee is really a publishing fee disguised as a DOI fee. Moreover, it’s shameful that Crossref — the owner of the DOI system — even allows this bogus publisher to have DOIs.

Note also that the spam is for their International Journal of Avian & Wildlife Biology, a journal that is about as far outside my field of academic librarianship as you can get.

In other MedCrave spam emails forwarded to me, the publisher uses the “just one more article” trick to lure submissions:

We are pleased to inform you that Journal of Historical Archaeology & Anthropological Sciences is about to release its inaugural issue and we are in need of one article to accomplish this issue. In fact my desire is to fulfill the issue with your article.

Some of this publisher’s articles have been indexed in PubMed, and the publisher uses this fact to try to make it look legitimate. It’s not.

Most of MedCrave’s journals are medical titles. However, they’ve added a few titles from other fields, such as engineering. Overall, the journals match fields in which authors typically have grants, monies that can be used to pay MedCraves author fees.

The bull is inside.

When it launched, MedCrave reported its headquarters location as Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Now it claims Edmond, Oklahoma is its home. This is a lie, as the publisher is really run out of Hyderabad, India, the home of many corrupt online businesses, including predatory publishers.

MedCrave is a completely bogus medical publisher. Its only aim is to make easy money off of open-access publishing, pretending to be a real publisher when it’s really just a grand scheme to trick researchers into thinking it is a bona fide medical publisher.

If you receive their email celebrating Open-Access Week or any other email from them, I recommend you delete it quickly. Do not submit any papers to MedCrave journals. Do not agree to serve on their editorial boards.

Appendix 1: A recent spam email I received from MedCrave:

From: International Journal of Avian & Wildlife Biology [mailto:aw@medcraveonline.org]
Sent: Saturday, October 8, 2016 5:16 AM
To: Beall, Jeffrey <Jeffrey.Beall@ucdenver.edu>
Subject: Submissions accepted: Open access week

Dear Dr. Jeffrey Beall,
Happy Open Access Week!

On the auspicious occasion of Open Access Week (October 24^th to 30^th), we are welcoming eminent people from the scientific community to submit their research work or any kind of article for the International Journal of Avian & Wildlife Biology (IJAWB).

MedCrave Group largely supports the Open Access initiative and certainly believes that by eliminating the barriers to access research work published online, will greatly aid to the progress of research within scientific and technical disciplines.

On the occasion of Open Access week we are glad to provide complete waiver on the publishing fee of articles, received before October 31, 2016.

Kindly submit your manuscript online

Moreover we believe knowledge is the best power to enhance the society. Hence we took up this initiative to support researchers for publishing their papers, who lack research funding. However we anticipate having your couple of submissions towards this eve success.

Kindly acknowledge this email receipt at the earliest to take your seat un-taken.

Note: Only processing charges of $222 will be charged towards DOI number after article publication.

Hope you understand us and foresee your support.

Best Regards,
Scarlett Reynolds
Editorial Office-MedCrave Group
International Journal of Avian & Wildlife Biology

If you wish to not to receive our emails, kindly unsubscribe

Appendix 2: List of MedCrave journals as of 2016-10-22:

1. Advances in Cytology & Pathology
2. Advances in Obesity, Weight Management & Control
3. Advances in Ophthalmology & Visual System
4. Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research
5. Advances in Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine
6. Authors Journal
7. Biodiversity International Journal
8. Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal
9. Computer networks and Communications Open access Journal
10. Drug Design Development & Therapy Open Access Journal
11. Endocrinology & Metabolism International Journal
12. Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal
13. Forestry Research: International Journal
14. Gastroenterology & Hepatology: Open Access
15. Hematology & Transfusion International Journal
16. International Clinical Pathology Journal
17. International Journal of Avian & Wildlife Biology
18. International Journal of Biosensors & Bioelectronics
19. International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine
20. International Journal of Hydrology
21. International Journal of Molecular Biology: Open Access
22. International Journal of Petrochemical Science & Engineering
23. International Journal of Pregnancy & Child Birth
24. International Journal of Radiology & Radiation Therapy
25. International Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination
26. International Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Journal
27. International Robotics & Automation Journal
28. Journal of Analytical & Pharmaceutical Research
29. Journal of Anesthesia & Critical Care: Open Access
30. Journal of Applied Biotechnology & Bioengineering
31. Journal of Aquaculture & Marine Biology
32. Journal of Bacteriology & Mycology: Open Access
33. Journal of Cancer Prevention & Current Research
34. Journal of Cardiology & Current Research
35. Journal of Dairy, Veterinary & Animal Research
36. Journal of Dental Health, Oral Disorders & Therapy
37. Journal of Dermatology & Cosmetology
38. Journal of Diabetes, Metabolic Disorders & Control
39. Journal of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases
40. Journal of Historical Archaeology & Anthropological Sciences
41. Journal of Human Virology & Retrovirology
42. Journal of Investigative Genomics
43. Journal of Liver Research, Disorders & Therapy
44. Journal of Lung, Pulmonary & Respiratory Research
45. Journal of Microbiology & Experimentation
46. Journal of Nanomedicine Research
47. Journal of Neurology & Stroke
48. Journal of Nutritional Health & Food Engineering
49. Journal of Otolaryngology-ENT Research
50. Journal of Pancreatic Research, Disorders & Therapy
51. Journal of Pediatrics & Neonatal Care
52. Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry
53. Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapeutics
54. Journal of Textile Engineering & Fashion Technology
55. Material Science & Engineering International Journal
56. MOJ Addiction Medicine & Therapy
57. MOJ Anatomy & Physiology
58. MOJ Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
59. MOJ Autoimmune Diseases
60. MOJ Bioequivalence & Bioavailability
61. MOJ Biology and Medicine
62. MOJ Bioorganic & Organic Chemistry
63. MOJ Cell Science & Report
64. MOJ Civil Engineering
65. MOJ Clinical & Medical Case Reports
66. MOJ Ecology & Environmental Sciences
67. MOJ Food Processing & Technology
68. MOJ Gerontology & Geriatrics
69. MOJ Immunology MOJ Immunology
70. MOJ Orthopedics & Rheumatology
71. MOJ Polymer Science
72. MOJ Proteomics & Bioinformatics
73. MOJ Public Health
74. MOJ Sports Medicine
75. MOJ Surgery
76. MOJ Toxicology
77. MOJ Women’s Health
78. MOJ Yoga & Physical Therapy
79. Nursing & Care Open Access Journal
80. Obstetrics & Gynecology International Journal
81. Open Access Journal of Photoenergy
82. Open Access Journal of Thyroid Research
83. Palliative Care & Medicine International Journal
84. Pharmacy & Pharmacology International Journal
85. Reproductive System & Sexual Disorders International Journal
86. Sleep Medicine and Disorders: International Journal
87. Urology & Nephrology Open Access Journal