Publication of Iranian Articles in Blacklist Journals; Author's Approach and Motivations

The aim of this survey is to identify Iranian authors’ motivations for publishing their articles in the blacklist journals of Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. An online questionnaire was completed by one hundred and two authors who have published a paper in one of the 251 blacklist journals in 2013. The results show that the most important motivations for publishing in those journals are: improving resume, collecting points for promotion, and getting permission for viva. The average age of the authors was about 38 years and they have paid about 350 USD for publishing their articles. The main criterion for trusting to these journals was the journals’ claim for being indexed in the prestigious databases as well as fast peer review and publication process. Most of the authors became familiar with the journals through recommendations of their friends, colleagues and supervisors. The article shows the economic aspect of the publication of these articles and it also shows the low level of knowledge of Iranian authors about credibility of the journals.