Recently, Retraction Watch reported a disturbing incident where a professor found her name on an article she didn’t write, which appeared to be plagiarized. Further investigation revealed some intriguing details about the journal responsible for publishing the article, the African Journal of Political Science.
Jephias Mapuva, a professor at Bindura University of Science Education in Zimbabwe, listed as the editor-in-chief of the journal, denied any association with it and expressed surprise at being falsely credited. He contacted the journal’s publisher, International Scholars Journal, to request the removal of his name from the website, as it posed an inconvenience to his profile.
Examining the journal’s editorial board, it was found to include engineering professors and a “Commercial Manager of Multifarious Projects Group” from India. Commenters pointed out that another African Journal of Political Science, affiliated with the African Association of Political Science and operating as an open-access journal without article processing fees, exists with the same ISSN listed on the International Scholars Journals website. The International Scholars Journals publication has been continuously publishing since 2007, whereas the other journal halted its publications in 2004 and resumed in the previous year.
International Scholars Journals has faced scrutiny, being mentioned in Jeffrey Beall’s list of “potentially predatory journals and publishers.” Beall, a librarian at the University of Colorado, Denver, maintained the list until 2017, but archived versions still exist online.
Commenters shared their experiences with the alleged African Journal of Political Science. One academic described the journal’s push for money after inviting a commentary submission. The journal’s aggressive behavior, charging high fees and ignoring requests to withdraw articles, was deemed fraudulent and akin to spearphishing.
Regarding the publication of an article under someone else’s name, commenters speculated that the publisher might aim to fill its issues with content and add an air of legitimacy by associating the work with reputable academics. Similar attempts using famous authors’ names, like Walt Whitman and Charlotte Brontë, have been previously reported.
The African Research (AR) Index is a comprehensive scholarly directory and database focused explicitly on journal publishers that publish and disseminate African research.
