REVA Business School

Research and Publication Ethics

Assignment : IA1

Date: 20/01/2024

Submitted To:

Dr. Gokila Vani

Reva Business School

Reva University

Submitted By:

Hemavathi T

R23PS024

School of Management

1
REVA Business School

Title: Ethical Analysis of a Research Paper

Title of the Paper is -Predatory nursing journals: A case study of author prevalence and
characteristics. paper identifies the Publication Misconduct of Swedish nursing Authors
and how does it affect the scholars in the long term perspective and impact their Career
Development.

Publication: SAGE

2. Read and Summarize the Paper:

Provide a summary of the selected research paper, highlighting key research questions,
methodologies, findings, and conclusions.

SUMMARY

Knowledge advancement in nursing is fundamentally threatened by predatory publishing.

According to earlier studies, novice researchers from low- and middle-income nations tend
to be the primary writers of publications in predatory journals. In order to provide insight
into the characteristics of a high-income nation with a robust academic industry, the study
aims to characterise the incidence of Swedish authors publishing in predatory nursing
journals. Approximately two thirds of Swedish writers who publish in nursing journals with
predatory content are in prominent academic roles. Contributions to predatory nursing
publications are significant from higher education Institutions (HEI) and experienced

2
REVA Business School

Swedish nursing researchers. Swedish nurse researchers help legitimize predatory journals,
thus jeopardizing the trustworthiness of academic nursing knowledge. Junior colleagues are
being misled by more seasoned researchers since collaborative papers might end up being
liabilities and sources of embarrassment. Technology has made it possible for the scholarly
nursing community to witness the emergence of open access publication, which is upending
established methods for sharing and obtaining research findings.

Predatory nursing journals have been observed from 75 publishers, with 4238 published
papers; most of the authors and editorial board members are from India. Data on the
characteristics of these journals have been gathered, and writers, reviewers, and editors
have been polled about their experiences. A large number of these short-lived journals
generally accepted papers on unrelated topics and were not focused on the specific
research area of nursing; they also frequently used flattering language, had tight deadlines
for submissions, covered broad subjects, used awkward or incorrect wording, and were of
low quality,

Furthermore, a significant amount of plagiarism and duplicate publications were discovered

in three separate predatory nursing journals. The citation patterns of the papers published
in predatory nursing journals were also found to be cited in non-predatory nursing journals.
All European Academies (ALLEA) have in their code of conduct for research integrity
highlighted that to support ‘journals that undermine the quality control of research
(‘predatory journals’)’ is an unacceptable practice. A small group of higher education
institutions account for a majority of academic affiliations.

One well-established field of study is nursing research. Higher education institutions (HEIs)
offer nursing education at the first, second, and third cycle levels. University colleges are
allowed to grant first- and second-cycle qualifications, while universities are allowed to

3
REVA Business School

award first-, second-, and third-cycle qualifications.16 In 2020, 25 HEIs—including

universities and university colleges—offer nursing education programmes.

Throughout the years 2012–2017, a disproportionally high number of articles were

published in nursing journals, accounting for 0.5%–0.9% of all publications from Swedish
higher education institutions that were published in dubious journals. 39 articles with
Swedish authors that were published in nine predatory nursing journals were found. Some
academics are taking advantage of colleagues by taking the quick way to publication in
order to advance.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The authors of this study published in nursing publications that are known to be predatory
for reasons that are unknown to us. When authors were questioned some claimed to have
followed recommendations from colleagues or to have only replied to emails inviting them
to write for the journals, while others claimed to be familiar with them and that they were
reliable.

METHODOLOGY

Quantitative descriptive design is used for the study. All data were retrieved from publicly
accessible websites. Data for 2018 were collected in April and May 2019. Data for 2019
were collected in July 2020

4
REVA Business School

DATA COLLECTION AND SAMPLE

In order to find all papers categorised as being connected to nursing in 2018 and 2019, the
first and third authors searched public listings of papers affiliated with Swedish Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs).

The primary source was the DiVA portal, which is a search tool for research papers written
at 49 Swedish institutions (www.divaportal.org), including the majority of the 25 HEIs
involved in nursing education. They also searched local public listings of two large and one
mid-sized HEI that were not included in the DiVA database.

This produced 652 unique records for 2018 after deleting duplicates and articles from
journals published in languages other than English. 717 more unique records were produced
in 2019 using the same process.

We also searched Cabells blacklist of predatory journals (www2.cabells.com) to identify

additional predatory nursing journals.

All identified papers published in predatory nursing journals during 2018–2019 with at least
one Swedish affiliation were retrieved in full text.

This systematic search process generated a sample of 39 papers with at least one author
affiliated with a Swedish HEI that were published in nine predatory nursing journals
published by seven predatory publishers

5
REVA Business School

FINDINGS

1.Prevalence of Swedish Authors: The research discovered 39 articles written by Swedish

authors that were published in predatory nursing journals in 2018 and 2019.

2. Academic Positions: Approximately two-thirds of Swedish writers who contribute to

predatory nursing publications are in prominent academic roles.

3. Academic Affiliations: Two-thirds of the authors' academic affiliations were with small
higher education institutions (HEIs), which accounted for the majority of the authors'
affiliations with the organisation.

4. Year-to-Year Comparison: The total number of publications dropped from 30 in 2018 to 9

in 2019, suggesting that the incidence of publishing in predatory journals may be declining.

5.Concentration of Predatory Publishing: A small number of smaller research milieus may

account for the majority of predatory nursing publishing in Sweden, indicating disparities in
academic culture, leadership, competence, and/or peer review and support.

6. Experiences Researchers Involvement: Rejecting the idea that most authors of predatory
journals are novice researchers from low- and middle-income nations, the study shows that
Experienced scholars from high-income nations, like Sweden, also participate in predatory
publishing.

6
REVA Business School

7.Ethical Implications: The integrity of academic careers may be impacted if senior nurse
academics engage in predatory publication, which diminishes the credibility of academic
nursing knowledge and may mislead junior colleagues.

8. Potential Impact of Educational Efforts : Education and awareness campaigns may have
reduced the quantity of predatory publications from Swedish nursing writers, indicating that
education campaigns may have an impact on the fight against predatory publishing in the
nursing field.

The researchers made sure that all data were kept secure and recognised the value of
maintaining confidentiality while handling personal data. Instead of disclosing particular
identities, they chose to highlight the traits shared by Swedish authors of articles published in
predatory journals and left out the names of the journals, authors, and affiliations when
presenting the results. The ethical precepts of secrecy and data protection are upheld by this
strategy.

CONCLUSION

Predatory publication, as the paper shows, is not exclusive to junior researchers or low- and
middle-income nations. Scholars with experience in wealthy nations also participate in
predatory publishing. Academic nurses should be concerned by the study's findings. Leading
the charge to guarantee the integrity and reliability of nursing knowledge, senior nurse
academics must uphold the confidence placed in them by the academic nursing community.
There is some hope from this study that educational institutions can have an impact in

7
REVA Business School

combatting predatory publication in nursing, even if the issue of predatory publishing needs
to be consistently addressed by the academic nursing community.

3.Identify Ethical Considerations:

Analyze the selected paper to identify potential ethical considerations.

1.Informed consent
In the study, junior colleagues are being misled by more senior and well experienced
researchers. The rise of open access journals seems to have attracted gold-diggers with no
interest in ensuring the trustworthiness of academic knowledge claims.

2.Research Integrity

From the study it is observed, professional Standards of Ethics were not followed by the
Junior Swedish Nursery Authors and the papers were published in the predatory journal.
Paper lacks Honesty, Awareness , Communication ,Transparency and Accountability.

3.Authorship and contributorship

There is no Clarity on Authorship and Contributorship from the paper.

4. Plagiarism

A Substantial Level of Plagiarism and duplicate Publications were found in the study.

5.Data fabrication and falsification

It was found papers published in predatory nursing journals were also cited in non-
predatory nursing publications according to the citation patterns. Perhaps paper typically

8
REVA Business School

lacked a focus on the particular research area of nursing, accepting papers on fringe subjects
and Flattering language, awkward phrases and incorrect words were used.

6.Conflicts of Interest

Higher education institutions (HEIs) offer nursing education at the first, second, and third
cycle levels. University colleges are allowed to award first- and second-cycle qualifications,
whereas universities are allowed to award third-cycle qualifications. Hence the paper lack
Research Integrity. Publishing in predatory journal creates curious among nursing scholars
as it is an open access journal with low fee and quickest way to publish an article.

4. Ethical Analysis:
Conduct a detailed ethical analysis of the identified considerations. Discuss why each
aspect is ethically relevant and its potential impact on the credibility and validity of the
research.

1. Research Integrity: Research integrity is ethically relevant because it emphasises the

value of maintaining accountability, honesty, and transparency in research. It is
possible for authors involved in predatory publication to stray from ethical research
standards, including fabricating, manipulating, or plagiarising data.
This can directly affect the researcher’s validity and credibility because it calls into
question, the reliability of the findings and the integrity of the academic record.

9
REVA Business School

Predatory publishing has the potential to have a substantial negative influence on

research integrity in this particular work since it can result in the publication of false
or misleading research findings.

2. Informed Consent : informed permission is an important ethical factor to take into

account when doing research on human subjects. Acquiring informed permission
guarantees that subjects are completely aware of the study and willingly choose to
take part. In the absence of appropriate informed consent, participants run the
danger of suffering potential damage and ethical transgressions. Informed consent is
essential to prevent ethical violations, protect participant rights and welfare, and
maintain the validity and credibility of the study.

3. Role Modelling: Role modelling is ethically relevant since it is the duty of more
senior researchers to provide moral guidelines and guide younger researchers. The
academic community may suffer when prominent scholars publish predatorily or
disregard ethical publishing guidelines. It could undermine faith in academic work,
normalise unethical behaviour, and jeopardise the reliability and validity of research
done in an academic setting.In the present case, inadequate role modelling may
have a substantial effect on the validity and credibility of the research since it might
foster a culture of unethical behaviour and jeopardise the integrity of the scientific
record.

4. Plagiarism: Since plagiarism is using someone else's words or ideas without giving
due credit, it has ethical implications. In addition to harming the original author,
plagiarism can affect the validity and credibility of the study if the data used are
faulty or untrustworthy.

10
REVA Business School

5. Data Fabrication and Falsification : Since data fabrication and falsification entail
creating or manipulating data to promote a specific theory or result, they are morally
significant. If the data gathered are not trustworthy or dependable, data fabrication
and falsification can affect the validity and credibility of the research as well as cause
harm to persons.

6. Conflict of Interest: Conflicts of interest are circumstances in which a person's

financial or personal interests may affect how research is conducted or reported,
making them ethically significant. Conflicts of interest can cause bias and affect the
validity and credibility of the study if the information gathered is unreliable or
untrustworthy. To guarantee openness and preserve the integrity of the study, it is
crucial to declare any conflicts of interest.

5.Propose Solutions:
Suggest practical solutions or measures that could have been implemented to address the
identified ethical considerations. Discuss how these solutions might have improved the
ethical standing of the research.

1. Education and Awareness: Conduct workshops and educational programmes to

teach researchers—especially junior researchers—about predatory publishing

11
REVA Business School

practices and the possible repercussions of publishing in journals that engage in

such behaviour. This can involve instruction on recognizing credible journals,
making use of assessment instruments, and cross-referencing journals with
whitelists and blacklists. By raising awareness, scientists might be better able to
decide where to publish their work, which would enhance the study's ethical
standing.
2. Mentoring and Role Modelling: Establish high standards for publication
procedures and cultivate an ethical publishing culture to encourage senior
academics to serve as mentors and role models for junior researchers. Senior
researchers may do this by offering advice on which journals to choose and by
exemplifying sound research techniques, which would positively impact junior
researchers' publication habits.

3. Academic Institution Collaboration: Promote the development and

implementation of publication ethics norms and guidelines by collaborating with
academic institutions. Potential strategies to address this issue include, including
instruction on predatory publishing into academic programmes, providing
institutional support to assist researchers in locating credible journals, and
encouraging ethical publication habits among academics.

4. Reporting and Whistleblowing Mechanisms: To detect exploitative publication

activities in academic nursing contexts, clearly define reporting and
whistleblower methods. Creating routes for reporting authors or predatory
journals suspected of unethical publishing practices could be one way to do this,
as long as the systems are in place to safeguard against false accusations and
encourage the ethical management of cases that are reported.

12
REVA Business School

5. Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation : To track changes in the prevalence of

predatory publishing and evaluate the success of educational initiatives and
interventions, the academic nursing community should establish ongoing
monitoring and evaluation of publication practices. To do this, it could be
necessary to conduct routine evaluations of publication trends, monitor the
application of reliable assessment instruments, and examine how educational
programmes affect researchers' knowledge and journal selection decisions.

6.Compare with Ethical Guidelines:

Compare your analysis with established ethical guidelines in your field. Discuss how well
the researchers adhered to or deviated from these guidelines.

It is found that some Swedish nursing authors deviated from ethical guidelines by
publishing in predatory nursing journals

• Lack of Awareness- Juniors who follow suit could think that publications that only
provide a cursory assessment and a fast track to publication are commendable for
their "effectiveness" and that publishing with them is acceptable.A methodical
search procedure was used to find Swedish contributors to predatory nursing
journals, and these journals were found using predetermined criteria, such as well-
known blacklists and whitelists.

13
REVA Business School

• Misguidance -Additionally, it is also found that senior academics are deceiving their
junior colleagues to publish in predatory nursing journals.

• Lack of transparency- Many of these short-lived journals accepted papers on

unrelated subjects and were not focused on the particular field of nursing research
covered a wide range of topics, used awkward or incorrect wording, and were of low
quality.
• Publication Misconduct -The study confronts publication misconduct within the
framework of predatory publishing, emphasizing the necessity of ethical
deliberations, consciousness, and instruction to foster honesty in research and
publishing methodologies.

• Negligence of Code of Conduct/ethical Guidelines - Swedish Junior Nursing scholars

were blindly accepting the random mail sent to them without having the knowledge
on the publishing house and as well as deliberately publishing predatory journals to
the mails received without any guidelines followed as the focus was only on career
promotion and development

• Lack of Research Integrity- The advancement of nursing knowledge is fundamentally

threatened by publishing in predatory journals, where low-quality work may be
misrepresented as authentic and utilised to further academic careers.
Predatory journals have the potential to produce subpar work that hides instances
of plagiarism, data manipulation, Quality or other ethical transgressions. To stop
such unethical actions, it is crucial to preserve research integrity and adhere to
ethical publishing standards.

14
REVA Business School

7.Reflective Component:
Include a reflective component where you discuss what you have learned about research
publication ethics through this analysis. Consider how this knowledge might inform your
own research practices.

• This analysis has provided insights into the prevalence and potential risks of
predatory publishing activities, as well as the significance of encouraging ethical
considerations in research and responsible publishing practices.
• This information has brought to light the significance of exercising caution and
accountability in my own research procedures, especially when it comes to choosing
publications for publishing. In order to make sure that I am publishing in respectable
and trustworthy journals, how crucial it is to verify journals against reliable whitelists
and blacklists and to use assessment tools like the Journal Evaluation Tool and the
Think. Check. Submit. checklist.
• In addition, a stronger understanding of the possible repercussions of predatory
publishing tactics, such as the possibility of hiding instances of plagiarism, data
manipulation, or other violations of ethical research procedures. Consequently,
dedicated to advocating for ethical publishing methods and responsible research
techniques, and to remain watchful and cognizant of the possible hazards linked to
predatory publication.

15
REVA Business School

• Adhering to Ethical Guidelines is a must while publishing journal as an Author giving

priority to Research Integrity, Keeping information more transparent , Awareness
and to be mindfulness in data manipulation , plagiarism and fabrication of data.

• Overall, this analysis has given insightful knowledge about the ethics of research
publications and informed my own research methods, stressing the significance of
ethical concerns, responsible publishing practices, and knowledge of the possible
dangers of predatory publishing.

**************

16
REVA Business School

17