By Nabin Pathak

National Young Academy of Nepal (NaYAN) organized a virtual meeting with academic leaders, researchers, publishers, editors, and students from different disciplines to understand the overview of predatory academic practices in Nepal. Research ethics working group of NaYAN had organized the meeting on January 21, 2022.

The rise in the predatory academic practices including predatory journals and conference are threat to academic community. The problem is a global in nature. Many researhers are preyed by bogus publishers and conference organizers.

The discussion program was moderated by co-lead of the research ethics working group Dr. Nirina Khadki. Co-chair of NaYAN Dr. Basant Giri started the discussion by highlighting the importance of the discussion on the topics since this is a less talked topic in Nepal. He said there are few recent initiatives in Nepal by University Grants Commission and Universities that may discourage researchers to publish in predatory journals. Prof Dr. Shanta Man Shakya, Editor-in-Chief of Nepal Horticulture Journal also pointed that ‘predatory practice is one of the important issues in the contemporary world but is the least discussed one’.

Dr. Bharat Babu Shrestha, Professor at Central Department of Botany, Tribhuwan University said his department provides seminar to students to understand predatory journals, and train them on how to select articles from Scopus indexed Journals or SCI journals. He also highlighted that more awareness is needed to students to distinguish legitimate and predatory journals. Dr. Deepak Khadka from Policy Research Institute and Nepal Public Policy Review Journal said that articles published in predatory journals would often lack proper peer review. They are doubtful on scientific integrity and may publish falsified, fabricated and even plagiarised material.

Dr. Pratyoush Onta, Editor of Studies in Nepali History and Society journal focused on the need to understand why Predatory publication is a “practice”. He also highlighted how these ideas of publication are a result of imposition from Global North to the global south with the aim of not allowing global south countries to publish in mainstream journals. An empirical study to understand these practices and training in universities is much more required.

Thirty one participants including Dr. Chhatra Sharma, Dr. Binod Pokharel, Dr. Bhanu Neupane, Dr. Dev Pandey, Dr. Mahesh Joshi, Dr. Namraj Dhami, Dr. Bikram Acharya, Dr. Prajal Pradhan also provided their opinions on the topic. Participants represented organizations including Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, Pokhara University, Martin Chautari, Policy Research Institute, Gandaki University were present in the program. Participants agreed on need of a collective effort by university faculty to properly provide guidance to their students. Dr. Sasmita Poudel of NaYAN concluded and closed the discussion program.

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