Study 3: The ASGLOS Study: A global survey on how predatory journals affect scientific practice

To collect the personal experiences of physicians’ mailboxes on predatory publishing, a Google Form® survey was designed and disseminated from September 2021 to April 2022. Results A total of 978 responses were analyzed from 58 countries around the world. Data underscores a statistically significant association between academic level and email influx (p<0.001).

Participants holding a PhD are disproportionately targeted, with 50.9% receiving more than 10 emails/week compared to 24.2% of those without a PhD (p<0.001). Participants with a more prolific publication record, indicated by higher numbers of overall publications, are inclined to directly delete emails. Also, individuals with a higher H Index (p<0.001) are more prone to occasionally responding to these emails.

Conclusion Our results not only highlight patterns in predatory email reception based on age and academic status but also emphasize the importance of considering academic productivity in understanding the prevalence of predatory solicitations.