Author: Robert J. Hironimus-Wendt, Professor of Sociology, Western Illinois University

1. Robert J. Hironimus-Wendt
Professor of Sociology
Western Illinois University

2. University Expectations for Tenure
 Faculty are intentionally hired into clearly-
defined, tenure-line positions
 Positions are defined according to
departmental, curricular needs
 Faculty are expected to demonstrate expertise in
the specific areas into which we are hired to
teach, in order to receive tenure

3. University Expectations for Tenure
 Tenured faculty:
 have multiple professional publications
 make significant contributions to their disciplines
 are recognized as experts in their areas of the
discipline
 Professional publications:
 Journals are edited by known leaders in the academic
discipline
 Submissions are reviewed by noted experts (“peers”)
in the specialty area

4. University Expectations for Tenure
 Not all forms of professional publication are of
equal value at all places
• journal articles • grant reports
• chapters • books
 Tenured faculty also publish outside their
disciplines
 Journal articles in other disciplines
 the scholarship on teaching and learning
 “Public” discourse
 expert testimonials

5. Departmental T & P Criteria
 Minimalist T & P criteria typically state:
 At least one “quality” publication midstream
 at least two “quality” publications for T & P
 What does “quality” mean?
 Are the review criteria that designate a quality
work, clearly articulated?

6. Departmental T & P Criteria
 Who is a bona fide referee of “quality”?
 Only internal, departmental reviewers?
 Does external review of works by “peers”
matter?
 Peer-review implies acceptance into an
external community of experts
 External recognition of works by noted experts
can enhance a department’s and the
university’s reputation

7. What Should T & P Committees Consider?
 Is the journal under the auspices of the
discipline’s national or regional associations?
 Is the journal published by an University Press?
 What does the editorial board “look like?”
 How old (established) is the journal?
 What is its impact factor?
 What is the acceptance/rejection rate?

8. What Should T & P Committees Consider?
 Are there costs associated with the publication
process?
 Are the costs reasonable?
 Are the costs consistent with standard fees in their
disciplines?
 Are the costs required for all submissions
(regardless of acceptance)?
 Are the costs required for manuscripts prior to
publication?

9. The Quality of Research Venues
 Traditional Publishing Venues
 Professional/Discipline-based Journals
 University Presses
 Independent Publishers
 Public Discourse Options
 Vanity Presses
 VDM Verlag
 Lambert Academic Publishing
 New Developments in Publishing:
 Open Access Journals • Predatory Journals
 Bogus Conferences/Proceedings • Predatory Publishers

10. Open Access Journals
 Open access journals are primarily online journals,
although many also publish a print edition.
 Some charge fees, some do not.
 Some are discipline based, some are interdisciplinary.
 Some focus explicitly on a sub-topic within a discipline,
some on topical areas across disciplines.
 Some are legitimate – some are not.

11. Federal Trade Commission
 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/08/29/fe
deral-trade-commission-begins-crack-down-
predatory-publishers
 https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/16
0826omicscmpt.pdf

12. Predatory Publishers
 All predatory journals say that they are refereed, peer-
reviewed, etc.
 All predatory journals say that they are indexed by leading
professional associations and/or organizations
 (Almost) all predatory journals look professional and
legitimate
 (Almost) all predatory journals promise very quick
turnaround
 Many predatory publishers offer numerous (sometimes
countless) journals covering every academic discipline

13. Predatory Journals/Publishers
 Editorial boards
 How many editors?
 Which disciplines?
 How many senior academics?
 How many junior academics?
 How many non-academics?
 How many students?
 How many academic scholars from YOUR discipline are on
the board?
 Are any of them notable?
 Where do they work?

14. Predatory Publishers
 Many predatory journals accept submissions from any/every
academic discipline
 American International Journal of Contemporary Research (AIJCR) is an open access, peer-
reviewed and refereed multidisciplinary journal…. The main objective of AIJCR is to provide an
intellectual platform for the research community…. The journal publishes research papers in three
broad specific fields as follows:
 Business and Economics
 Management, marketing, finance, economics, banking, accounting, human resources management,
international business, hotel and tourism, entrepreneurship development, business ethics, development
studies and so on.
 Humanities and Social science
 Anthropology, communication studies, corporate governance, criminology, cross-cultural studies,
demography, education, ethics, geography, history, industrial relations, information science, international
relations, law, linguistics, library science, media studies, methodology, philosophy, political science,
population Studies, psychology, public administration, sociology, social welfare, linguistics, literature,
paralegal, performing arts (music, theatre & dance), religious studies, visual arts, women studies
 Science and Technology
 Astronomy and astrophysics, Chemistry, Earth and atmospheric sciences, Physics, Biology in general,
Agriculture, Biophysics and biochemistry, Botany, Environmental Science, Forestry, Genetics, Horticulture,
Husbandry, Neuroscience, Zoology, Computer science, Engineering, Robotics and Automation, Materials
science, Mathematics, Mechanics, Statistics, Health Care & Public Health, Nutrition and Food Science,
Pharmaceutical Sciences, and so on

15. Predatory Solicitation Email
 Many predatory publishers solicit submissions through
spam email
 Dear Robert J. Hironimus-Wendt,

 I am Cosmo Johnson, the editor of World Journal of Educational Research ISSN 2375-9771 (Print) ISSN
2333-5998 (Online). I have had an opportunity to read your paper “The Sociological
Imagination and Social Responsibility”, and can tell from your work that you are an expert in this
field.

 World Journal of Educational Research publishes research papers covering these subjects: education
in different stages such as preschool, primary school, secondary school and high school education,
educational technology, educational leadership, teaching and learning skills, etc.
 We are calling for submission of papers. Please find the journal’s profile at:
http://www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/wjer and submit your manuscripts online.
 If you have any questions, please contact with the editor at: www.scholink.org

 It is appreciated if you could share this information with your colleagues and associates. Thank you.

 Best Regards, 445 S. Figueroa Street
 Los Angeles, CA 90071
 Cosmo Johnson Tel: (626)513-2983
 Editor Fax: (626)333-8885
 World Journal of Educational Research Email: wjer01@scholink.org

16. Among the editors:
 Dr. Dennie Smith remembered for integrating technology into
teacher preparation
 Post date: September 22, 2015
 Dr. Dennie Smith, professor and former department head of Teaching,
Learning and Culture, passed away Thursday, September 10, 2015.
The longtime educator was raised in Clay, West Virginia and was the
oldest of three children. He attended Marshall University and received
his Ed.D in Education at Auburn University.
 Dr. Smith began his career at the University of Memphis as professor
and department chair where he met his wife of 34 years, also a
professor, Lana (Massey) Smith. He started at Texas A&M in 2003
where he became a well-known faculty member at the college and
wrote numerous publications in areas of educational development and
research.

17. Predatory Solicitation Email
 Call for Papers International Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IJHSS)
 ISSN 2220-8488 (Print), 2221- 0989 (Online)
 International Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IJHSS) is an open access, peer-reviewed and refereed
international journal published by Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA. The main objective of IJHSS is to provide an
intellectual platform for the international scholars. IJHSS aims to promote interdisciplinary studies in humanities and
social science and become the leading journal in humanities and social science in the world.
 The journal publishes research papers in the fields of humanities and social science such as anthropology, business
studies, communication studies, corporate governance ,criminology, cross-cultural studies ,demography, development
studies, economics, education, ethics, geography, history, industrial relations, information science, international
relations, law, linguistics, library science, media studies, methodology, philosophy, political science, population
Studies, psychology, public administration, sociology, social welfare, linguistics ,literature, paralegal, performing arts
(music, theatre & dance), religious studies ,visual arts, women studies and so on.
 The journal is published in both print and online versions.
 The journal is now indexed with and included in Cabell’s, Ulrich’s, DOAJ, Index Copernicus International,
EBSCO and Gale. Moreover the journal is under the indexing process with ISI, ERIC, Econlit, Scopus and Journal
seeks.
 IJHSS publishes original papers, review papers, conceptual framework, analytical and simulation models, case studies,
empirical research, technical notes, and book reviews.
 IJHSS is inviting papers for Vol. 2 No. 9 which is scheduled to be published on (full date).
 Send your manuscript to the editor at editor@ijhssnet.com, or editor.ijhss@hotmail.com
 For more information, visit the official website of the journal www.ijhssnet.com
 With thanks,
 The Chief Editor
 International Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IJHSS)
 Contact: editor@ijhssnet.com, editor.ijhss@hotmail.com

18. Among the editors:
 Kevin CHENG, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
and Social Policy, LINGNAN University, Hong Kong
 Associate Editor, International Journal of Humanities and Social
Science
 Publisher: Center for Promoting Ideas
 Associate Editor, International Journal of Psychological Studies
 Publisher: Canadian Center of Science and Education


 http://law.lexisnexis.com/webcenters/hk/News/Main-Topic-
1/Academic-ordered-to-community-service-for-expenses-fiddle

19. Predatory Publishers
 Some use spam email to solicit reviewers
 Dear Dr. Robert J. Hironimus-Wendt,
 We Received A Manuscript Titled: The role of the Islamic Azad University Public relations in
creations of proper Ground to achieve the goals of its social responsibility.
 We will be most grateful if you could find time to review the manuscript. Please find attached is the
full manuscript (IJSA-11-044) instruction for authors as well as the reviewer's guide. You may present
your evaluations the way you deem fit. If you wish to correct parts of the manuscript itself, please
indicate your corrections with a different color (for example, red for addition and blue for deletion).
We are looking forward to your response.
Best regards,
 Dr. Georgios A. Antonopoulos, Editor
 International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology IJSA)
 E-mail: ijsa.manuscripts@gmail.com
 www.academicjournals.org/IJSA, www.acadjourn.org/ijsa

20. Predatory Publishers
 Some use spam email to solicit people willing to
create their own journals and serve as editors
 Call For Editors

Science Journal Publication invites individual or team applications for the role of Editor of it Journals. The
Editor supervises all editorial content of the Journal. S/he serves to preserve the editorial integrity and
substance of the SJ Publication Journals.his is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious and focused
individual with solid editorial experience to edit an exciting journal in Science Journal Publication portfolio.
 Conduct of an Editor

Science Journal Publication is seeking to recruit an engaged and enthusiastic Editor to manage editorial
processes for it journals and to guide its development as an academic journals. The Journal Editor will be
responsible for the following:
 Managing the Journal’s double blind peer review process, with the assistance of an Editorial Review Board,
and delivering appropriate content for the journal
 Serves as the final decision-maker in the acceptance of all articles
 Developing and maintaining a network of contacts to act as advocates for the Journal
 Attending conferences or similar events to promote the Journal
 Working with the Journal Publisher (at Science Journal Publication) to achieve agreed development
objectives for the Journal and to raise its international profile

21. Predatory Journals
 Costs
 “Gold” predatory journals operate on a for-profit basis,
and charge fees of $200.00, $550.00, or more.
 Sociology and anthropology journal submissions are
$50.00 or less.
 American Journal of Sociology $30.00 American Sociological Review $25.00
 Social Problems $25.00 Humanity & Society free
 Teaching Sociology $25.00 Journal of Health and Social Behavior $25.00
 Social Psychology Quarterly $25.00 Sociological Theory $25.00
 Sociological Methodology $25.00 Sociology of Education $25.00
 Social Forces $50.00 Sociological Quarterly free
 Human Organization free Cultural Anthropology free
 Many open access journals do not charge fees

22. Predatory Publishers
 Predatory publishers use a corporate model, rather than a
professional model or organization
 Some predatory journals publish between 20 and 60 articles per
month (or more).
$200.00/article X 60 articles/month X 12 months X 7 journals
= $ 1,008,000 annual revenues for the executive board
 Some publish more than one issue per month
 Some have countless journal titles

23. Predatory Publishers
 Some predatory publishers have journals that publish
irregularly
 Some have journals that publish different numbers of
articles each issue
 Some have journal titles that only publish three or five
issues or volumes, irregularly
 Some have boards that include people who have not
agreed to serve
 Some predatory publishers have enormous boards

24. Resources
 Chronicle of Higher Education Article
 Inside Higher Ed Article
 Directory of Open Access Journals
 Free Tool for Evaluating Journal Impact
 scholarlyoa.com