NIH issues statement encouraging authors to publish NIH-funded research papers in reputable journals
In a statement released November 3, 2017, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) encouraged authors to publish NIH-funded research papers in reputable journals “to protect the credibility of published research.”
According to the statement: “The NIH has noted an increase in the numbers of papers reported as products of NIH funding which are published in journals or by publishers that do not follow best practices promoted by professional scholarly publishing organizations.”
They listed several attributes by which disreputable publishers can be identified, including:
- Misleading pricing (e.g., lack of transparency about article processing charges)
- Failure to disclose information to authors
- Aggressive tactics to solicit article submissions
- Inaccurate statements about editorial board membership
- Misleading or suspicious peer-review processes
The statement contained links to the following resources that can provide guidance for researchers in identifying reputable journals:
Think Check Submit, a publishing industry resource
“Academics and scientists: Beware of predatory journal publishers,” information from the Federal Trade Commission
