Questionable OA Publisher Launches with a Clever Website and 52 New Journals

A recent addition to my list is the American Research Institute for Policy Development (ARIPD), which, unlike most new OA publishers, has a clever and professional-appearing website, until you look a little closer, that is.

One of the first strange things I noticed was the contact information:

First, a Google search on the director’s name brings up nothing relevant except this site itself. One would think that a search on the name of the director of an American Research Institute would retrieve numerous hits in Google. Who is Mr. Sagar?

Second, the name of the International Wing Coordinator is listed as Dr. William Smith (Mrs.). This is a very unusual way for a woman to state her name in a professional context (unless her name is William, I guess). I called the phone number listed and asked for her, and a man with a strong accent told me that the only way to communicate with her was through email.

Third, the addresses are all wrong. Google Maps shows no Monticello Street in New York City. There is a town called Monticello in New York State, and the 12701 zip (postal) code is for that town. Also, regarding, “42, Monticello Street,” Americans don’t put a comma after the street number like the Brits do.

Predatory publishers that are from abroad and try to look like they are from the US almost always fail to get American street addresses correct on their websites. This is among the most mangled I’ve seen.

The Institute’s overall website is fantastic. It is filled with excellent pictures, some great text, and the colors and layout are great. I somehow feel as if I’ve seen this website somewhere before.

Under the website section called “Ongoing Research,” there is a component called Global Financial Crisis. This section contains this text:

The global financial crisis, brewing for a while, really started to show its effects in the middle of 2007 and into 2008. Around the world stock markets have fallen, large financial institutions have collapsed or been bought out, and governments in even the wealthiest nations have had to come up with rescue packages to bail out their financial systems.

This text appears in many places on the Internet, including in this 2011 article. It is presented on the ARIPD website as if it were original, raising a question of plagiarism.

Many of this publisher’s 52 journals have nothing to do with policy development, the supposed focus of the institute. Most are broad in scope so that more articles will fall within their coverage.

This site has the gall to include a DONATE button, and it claims to offer scholarships. The institute is currently spamming for articles, so you may receive an email from “Pfeiffer Lydia” with an offer to waive the article processing charges if you submit your article right away.

The institute claims to have been founded in June, 2011, but its Facebook page was created on October 22, 2013, and at this time only has a measly 22 likes.

In my opinion, the American Research Institute for Policy Development is a sham, and I strongly recommend against submitting papers to it or having any association with it.

Appendix: List of ARIPD journals as of 2014-01-06:

1. American International Journal of Biology
2. American Review of Mathematics and Statistics 
3. International Journal of Accounting and Taxation
4. International Journal of Art and Art History
5. International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies 
6. International Journal of Health Sciences
7. International Journal of Language and Literature
8. International Journal of Linguistics and Communication
9. International Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy
10. International Journal of Music and Performing Arts
11. International Journal of Nursing
12. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology
13. International Journal of Physics and Astronomy 
14. International Multilingual Journal of Contemporary Research
15. Journal of Administrative Sciences and Policy Studies
16. Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
17. Journal of Anthropology and Archaeology
18. Journal of Business Law and Ethics
19. Journal of Chemistry and Biochemistry 
20. Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology
21. Journal of Economics and Development Studies
22. Journal of Education and Human Development
23. Journal of Engineering and Architecture
24. Journal of Finance and Bank Management
25. Journal of Foreign Languages, Cultures & Civilizations
26. Journal of Geography and Earth Sciences
27. Journal of Global Peace and Conflict 
28. Journal of Human Resources Management and Labor Studies
29. Journal of International Business and Economics
30. Journal of International Relations and Foreign Policy
31. Journal of Islamic Banking and Finance
32. Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture
33. Journal of Law and Criminal Justice
34. Journal of Library and Information Sciences
35. Journal of Management Information System and E-commerce
36. Journal of Management Policies and Practices
37. Journal of Marketing Management
38. Journal of Natural Sciences 
39. Journal of Physical Education and Sports Management
40. Journal of Power, Politics & Governance
41. Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Science
42. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development
43. Journal of Social Science for Policy Implications
44. Journal of Social Welfare and Human Rights
45. Journal of Sociology and Social Work
46. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management
47. Public Policy and Administration Review
48. Review of Arts and Humanities
49. Review of Contemporary Business Research
50. Review of History and Political Science
51. Review of Journalism and Mass Communication
52. Strategic Management Review