Is Springer a Predatory Publisher?
Springer is one of the world’s largest academic publishers, and it has been in business for over 150 years.
The company publishes thousands of journals and books in a variety of fields, and it is a trusted source of scholarly content. However, there have been some recent allegations that Springer is a predatory publisher.
Predatory publishing is a term used to describe a publisher that takes advantage of authors by charging them for publication without providing the quality of services that would be expected from a legitimate publisher. In some cases, predatory publishers will even publish manuscripts that are of poor quality or contain plagiarized material.
The allegations against Springer center around its Frontiers series of journals. Frontiers is a multidisciplinary open access journal that is published by Springer. The journal is free to read, but authors must pay a fee to have their articles published. The fees range from $500 to $3,000, depending on the type of article.
Critics of Springer’s Frontiers series argue that the publisher is taking advantage of authors by charging them for publication without providing the quality of services that would be expected from a legitimate publisher. For example, Frontiers does not have a rigorous peer-review process, and it does not provide editorial support or marketing services.
In response to these allegations, Springer has defended its Frontiers series, arguing that it is a legitimate open access journal and that it provides authors with a platform to publish their work. The company also points out that it is transparent about its fees and that it provides authors with detailed information about the publication process.
While it is true that Springer is transparent about its fees and provides authors with detailed information about the publication process, it is clear that Springer, as a publisher, is trying to hide the fact that it is a predatory organization, at least when it comes to Frontiers.
Ultimately, it is up to authors to decide whether or not to publish with Springer’s Frontiers series. Authors should carefully consider the fees and services that are being offered before making a decision. If authors feel that the fees are too high or that the services are inadequate, then they should look for another publisher.