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'Bogus' scholarly society agrees to publish papers without peer review

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A photo on the SCIE website is in fact a photo of a meeting of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International.
A photo on the SCIE website, labelled as the society's annual dinner in Sydney, is in fact a photo of a meeting of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI).()
A photo on the SCIE website is in fact a photo of a meeting of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International.
A photo on the SCIE website, labelled as the society's annual dinner in Sydney, is in fact a photo of a meeting of the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI).()
'If you wish to publish your paper immediately without peer review. We can do it for you.' Background Briefing exposes the predatory practices of an open access publisher that claims to be one of Sydney's leading scientific associations.
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A scholarly publisher that claims to follow 'world best academic publishing protocol' has agreed to publish an academic paper 'immediately without peer review' in exchange for a $704 fee.

The Australian Society for Commerce Industry and Engineering (SCIE) agreed to the arrangement in an email exchange with Background Briefing during an investigation into predatory practices on the fringes of the academic publishing industry.

This publisher lifts pictures of professors from the internet, gives them new names, and advertises them as editors-in-chief of its mediocre journals.

Academic publishing is a multi-million-dollar industry, with big names like Elsevier often accused of charging libraries extortionate fees for access to journals.

Open access publishers, though, don't ask libraries or readers to pay; instead many charge article processing fees to cover the costs of peer review. But while many open access journals have the same quality peer review mechanisms as subscription access journals, serious questions are being raised about the procedures of others.

SCIE is one of several hundred organisations identified by Jeffrey Beall, an academic librarian in Denver, Colorado, as 'potential, possible or probable predatory scholarly open access publishers'.

Posing as an international student named Rajita Dhital, Background Briefing emailed the SCIE asking to become a member of the society.

i am rajita. i want to be a member for undergraduate category.

i study in australia.

do scie can have benefits for my degree?

society is very important for my studies

A response came later that day from the SCIE's admin secretariat.

You can prepare journal paper to the topics which you are interested in. Once it is reviewed and acknowledged, we will publish on the website. There is certificate and hardcopy as well for your paper.

In the next email, Background Briefing asked to speak with the society over the phone.

I would like to submit my paper of academic level. I will do in your website. I can find good instructions. 

My question is on I want to be member of scie, maybe for one year.

What is your number I will call you. Also I have 2 friends in my university, they also interesting becoming members of scie.

I want talk to you about this. I can call your number when you give it to me. 

Your journals high level and you doing good service for academic. Thankyou.

The SCIE response did not provide the phone number, directing Rajita back to the website instead.

Thanks for your interest. Please check via http://www.scie.org.au/membership for the membership registration. In the meantime, please send your paper to us.

The society's website says the second stage, after draft submission of a paper, is 'peer reviewing and acceptance'. 'If your paper meet [sic] the academic standards, then it will be accepted,' the frequently asked questions page states. But 'Rajita' asked them to waive this requirement.

I have many questions maybe better to talk by telephone?

I dont want my article peer review. some people have problems with english language, and maybe they don't understand me very well.

This way is ok by you? i have 4 papers to send but want it published immediate, no wait.

also i want to speak in your conference in Sydney. my topic is biomaterials and tissue engineering. You accept me speaker? I am working now on Phd, very nice quality.

The SCIE responded, saying that skipping the peer review process was possible.

Ok, if you wish to publish your paper immediately without peer review. We can do it for you. 

But you need to ensure that your paper is original work. 

Please send your paper to us ASAP.

The same day, Background Briefing received an invoice for $704.00, which was described as the payment to facilitate the publishing process.

Our financial department has send your a invoice, please make the payment ASAP in order to facilitate your publishing process. 

That was the last email Background Briefing received from SCIE. More questions to the organisation went unanswered.

Do I pay first, or you want to look at article before I pay? 

This is a lot of money and I want be sure you publish for sure? 

The SCIE says on its website that it is based in Burwood, NSW, but offers no contact details beyond email addresses and social media accounts.

In a video on its home page, a man identifying himself as 'Professor Ian, the chief scientist of SCIE', claims the society is 'one of the leading scientific association [sic] based in Sydney' and has 'served as Australia's national science agency'. ('Professor Ian' should not be mistaken for Professor Ian Chubb, the chief scientist for Australia.)

Beall describes the Australian Society for Commerce Industry & Engineering as 'a completely bogus scholarly society ... [that] uses numerous tricks to make itself look legitimate'.

'This publisher lifts pictures of professors from the internet, gives them new names, and advertises them as editors-in-chief of its mediocre journals,' he writes.

'It's clear that this is a sham operation. More predatory publishers are exploiting the good name of Australia. Please don't let yourself be duped by this bogus society publisher.'

Background Briefing has sent a further series of questions to SCIE but is yet to receive a response.

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Background Briefing is investigative journalism at its finest, exploring the issues of the day and examining society in a lively on-the-road documentary style.

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Australia, Education, University, Information and Communication