My So-Called Oceanographer's Life: Why Some Open-Access Journals Warrant Disdain

I received this email recently. It is similar to ones I get a few times each month. Red emboldening is mine.

Dear Dr. Michael Campana,

Journal of Oceanography (OCN) is an Open Access journal published by OMICS Publishing Group and aims to publish the discoveries and current developments in the mode of research articles, reviews and letters in all areas of the field and making them freely available to researchers worldwide.

OMICS Group is known by the world for its best effort to bring all fields of science and technology at one place for the benefit of global scientific community by publishing more than 200 Open Access journals in various disciplines of science and technology. All published articles will be deposited in internationally recognized open access depositories like DOAJ, Google Scholar, and many more. 

The journal includes a wide range of fields in its discipline to create a platform for the authors to make their contribution towards the journal and the editorial office promises a peer review process for the submitted manuscripts for the quality of publishing.

We found you as a person who is eminent in the field of the journal and as one who would make a valuable contribution to the journal. Based on your record of contributions in the field, we would like to invite you to join our editorial board to serve the scientific community. 

As an editorial board member, you may be required to occasionally review papers, solicit articles from your colleagues/acquaintances and help in promoting the journal at conferences and meetings that you attend.

Please indicate your willingness to serve on the journal editorial board by sending an acceptance letter along with your C.V. including list of publications, Biography (150 words), Research Interests and a recent passport size photo (.jpg format) to display at our website. 

We are pleased to welcome any queries that you have about our journal.

We keenly look forward to receiving your positive response.

With kind regards,

Editorial Office - Journal of Oceanography - Open Access
OMICS Group Inc.,
2360 Corporate Circle
Suite 400, Henderson
NV 89074-7722, USA
Phone: +1- 888-843-8169
Fax: +1-650-618-1417
Toll Free: +1-800-216-6499

Oceanography? At one time (late 1960s) I harbored (no pun intended) visions of going to graduate school in oceanography but I didn't want to be a taxi driver with a PhD in oceanography, which is what some oceanographers were doing in the 1970s. I have never had a course in the topic, nor written anything remotely related to oceanography.

Prior to this invitation I was invited to join the editorial board of an open access journal in analytical chemistry, 'because of my substantial contributions to the field'. Uh-huh.

I am awaiting an invitation to serve on the editorial board of a journal in chemical oceanography. That's the one I'll take!

I wonder if OMICS exhibits the same degree of scrutiny in evaluating journal submissions as they do in selecting editorial board members. 

But it doesn't surprise me that the OMICS Group is located in Henderson, just outside Las Vegas. That is the home of the academic powerhouse Nevada State College.

"A little disdain is not amiss; a little scorn is alluring." - William Congreve

Comments

[Maven]

Hey, congratulations on your accomplishments in oceanography!

Did you know my website, Aquafornia, won an award! Yes, I did! I received an award for being a top website to choose what national park to visit, you know, on account of all the national parks coverage that Aquafornia runs ....

:)