Hyderabad, India-based OMICS Publishing Group is among the most abusive of the scholarly publishers classified as “predatory publishers.” One of the ways it rips off researchers is by spamming them without mentioning the article processing charges.
Occasionally, researchers respond to the spam emails by submitting a manuscript, which is quickly accepted, with a quick and trivial peer review. Soon afterwards, the authors are surprised by a hefty and unexpected invoice, often for $2,700.
Below are three emails I received recently that document three cases of this abuse. The third example is an email exchange between the duped author and “Joseph Marreddy,” a contrived name used by someone at OMICS Publishing Group, followed by a summary email sent to me.
Example 1
Hi Jeff,
I stumbled onto your blog recently as I was looking at the omics group. I am sad to say that I was one of those researchers duped by the omics group. My boss, a prominent doctor was invited by omics group to submit some articles. We did so, not realizing how bad it was, but after we submitted, they gave us an invoice charging us for it, even thought they invited us to submit articles, with a tight deadline no less! Now we seem to be stuck. We have not approved the final proof, and we specifically told them we want to withdraw the article, but they are not letting us do that, as they had already assigned a DOI for the paper. I have tried to contact them about this, but to no avail, and they always seem to give me the runaround. Is there any recourse for poor victims like me? What would you suggest we do?
Thank you for your kind attention.
Number 2
Hello
I live in France and I’m sorry if my English is not very clear.
I write to you because OMICS contacted me last year for submitting and publish an article in the Journal of Medical Diagnostic. In their email, they were talking about special issues and did not mention fee publication. However, I submitted an article. After a review, they ask me to modify a little article (not a lot) then send me authorproof this month. And I discovered fee publication, which were not mentionned in their first email. Fee are about 919 dollars. When I told them that I can not pay because I am still a student, they proposed me 500 dollars, and they say that it can not be lower (it’s the minimal) and show me by internet link intructions for authors mentionning fee publication of 900 dollars.
I read an article on web about predatory scholary open-access publishers written by you. I didn’t know that it can exist until now.
OMICS is now asking me to pay. But before they publish it I said when I receive authorproof that I didn’t wish to publish in their journal but even, they publish it. However, they didn’t send any examplary of the review and when I asked for when I can see the article, I wonder if it is a false view of the page or not (http://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/ArchiveJMDM/articleinpress-medical-diagnostic-methods-open-access.php).
Can you help me? I am French so I don’t know the law in USA, I don’t know what to do and i am very afraid that they ask me for more money.
The OMICS contact is:
Mr Joseph G Marreddy
Journal of Medical Diagnostic Methods.
731 Gull Ave, Foster City
CA 94404, USA
Phone: +1- 650-268-9744
Fax: +1-650-618-1414
Toll Free: +1-800-216-6499
Please can you help me? i would be very grateful
Number 3
This is a series of emails between OMICS and an author who submitted a manuscript in response to an OMICS spam email, followed by an email to me:
From: OMICS Group Inc., [authorproof-openaccess@omicsonline.org]
Sent: Friday, 27 June 2014 11:15 PM
To: [Redacted]
Subject: [Redacted]_Author proof & Invoice
Manuscript Details:
Reference number: [Redacted]
Journal Title: Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals
Title: [Redacted]
Corresponding Author: Dr. [Redacted]
Dear Dr. [Redacted],
Herewith we are sending the Author proof & Invoice of [Redacted]. Check the proof carefully and return within 48 hours. Please arrange to make the payment within two weeks. Correct the misprints and send back to the editorial staff by e-mail to authorproof-openaccess@omicsonline.org
Only necessary typographical errors should be corrected, no new additions should be made. Extensive changes will request a new approval of the editorial committee. They will be inserted as notes added in the Proof. If you have corrections, please write them in the author’s proof directly with marking and send it.
Or Please fill in a character with an intelligible character or type, scan and send it by e-mail.
Or Type the misprints in separate word file with two columns, one is for misprinted and one is for to be print and send by e-mail.
Author will be charged for any expenses incurred by the publisher for making extensive corrections or additions.
* If you fail to send the corrections within 48 hours, we may assume that you agreed to publish without corrections.
We request you to carefully check the PDF file.
Please inform us if you need any reprints of your article.
The cost of reprints on acid free papers:
1000 reprints: 719$
500 reprints: 519$
100-200 reprints: 419$
Shipping cost: 50$ with in USA
100$ outside USA
Dispatch time: 10-15 working days
OMICS Group successfully running 300 Open Access journals and 100 more scientific conferences (per year) in different disciplines with the support from 30,000 well qualified editorial board members. We are the proud partner in making healthcare and scientific information Open Access.
If you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
On behalf of Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals ,
With best regards for your ongoing research.
Joseph Marreddy
Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals ,
731 Gull Ave, Foster City
CA 94404, USA
Phone: +1- 650-268-9744
Fax: +1-650-618-1414
Toll Free: +1-800-216-6499
________________________________________
—–Original Message—–
From: [Redacted]
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 5:17 PM
To: OMICS Group Inc.,
Subject: RE: [Redacted]_Authorproof & Invoice
Dear Mr Mareddy,
Thank you for this however I must admit to being completely taken aback regarding the invoice. This was a solicited review and it was never mentioned that a cost would be incurred to me or my fellow authors for publication. I am not in a position to pay this sum and am considering withdrawing the article from JAA.
Please do NOT assume that I agree to publication without correction as I do not.
I have been in touch with the editorial assistant who originally invited me to write the review, Gracia, but have not yet heard back from her.
If I do not hear within the next 48 hours that the fee will not be charged I shall have to withdraw my submission.
Kind regards,
[Redacted]
From: OMICS Group Inc., [authorproof-openaccess@omicsonline.org]
Sent: Tuesday, 8 July 2014 11:05 PM
To: [Redacted]
Subject: RE: [Redacted]_Regarding manuscript
Dear Dr. [Redacted],
Warm greetings!!
Initially sorry for the inconvenience caused.
Mam, we initially inform you we cannot let you withdraw the manuscript as it published online and more over assigned with DIO number. We would like to inform you that article processing charges are mentioned in the homepage of our website and also in Instructions for authors. kindly follow the link “http://omicsonline.org/index.php”
http://omicsonline.org/instructionsforauthors-antivirals-antiretrovirals-open-access.php”
However considering your mail as special we would like to provide discount on publication fee. we provide you 20% discount on fee. now you are asked to pay 2179$ as fee.
Hope the amendment made will satisfy you and will support us by paying the fee. Mam, as you are aware of the fact that ours is an Open Access and does not receive any kind of financial support. As we solely depend upon gracious contributions made from generous authors like you. we request kindly support us by paying the fee.
We look forward to receive an positive reply .
If you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
On behalf of Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals ,
With best regards for your ongoing research.
Joseph Marreddy
Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals ,
731 Gull Ave, Foster City
CA 94404, USA
Phone: +1- 650-268-9744
Fax: +1-650-618-1414
Toll Free: +1-800-216-6499
From: [Redacted]
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 12:33 AM
To: Beall, Jeffrey
Subject: OMICS group invoice.
FW: [Redacted] Regarding manuscript
Dear Jeffrey,
I am a [Redacted] researcher from [Redacted].
I recently received an invitation to write an article for the “Journal of antivirals and antiretrovirals” from OMICS group. I googled Omics but unfortunately at that time, did not look far enough down the page beyond their website etc to see other negative things that have been written about them.
In the original invitation from an “editorial assistant” there was no mention of a fee but there was a link to the website which they said would provide more details. I did not at the time follow it. Looking at it now on the website there is one tab with one heading (author instructions) in which the fees are mentioned.
The editorial assistant said I could just email her the article which I did. I did not go through an online submission process or sign a copyright agreement.
The article was accepted within about 5 weeks with a 4 line peer review which was largely just technical.
A few days later the proofs were sent me along with the invoice for $2700!
I sent them an email saying I was not in a position to pay the sum and that it had been an invited review, the fees never mentioned etc and that if I did not hear from them in 48 hours I would be withdrawing my article. There was no response in 48 hours so I sent an email saying I withdrew my article and I planned to submit it elsewhere, that I had never signed a copyright and they did not have any authority over the manuscript, I will forward that email separately. I received a response 1 week later, below, although it replied to the second last email I had sent.
I have checked the Journal of Antivirals and antiretrovirals website and the article is not published online including under “articles in press”.
I do not want to pay the money and ideally I would like to submit my article to another, reputable journal.
I realize I have been terribly naive and that you may not be in a position to offer any advice, but if you have any experience, in particular with what has ensued in such cases I would be grateful for it.
Best Wishes,
[Redacted]
One of the significant things about this last exchange is that publishers claims that the paper cannot be withdrawn because it already has a DOI (digital object identifier, which it calls DIO). This is completely bogus, as the assignment of a DOI does not mean that an article cannot be withdrawn. In fact, articles with DOIs are withdrawn and retracted regularly. This is just a trick to manipulate the researchers and pressure them to pay.
In the strongest possible terms, I advise all researchers to avoid submitting any manuscripts to all of OMICS Publishing Group’s journals and cut off any contact you have with this publisher. As the evidence here shows, this is an abusive publisher that exploits honest researchers.
By: Jeffrey Beall
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Source: Scholarly Open Access
Comments:
Farid says:
August 7, 2014 at 9:37 AM
My Friend from Iran who often travels between Iran and US was another victim of this predatory journal. His student received an acceptance letter and bill on a joint paper and OMICS group managed to find his mobile number asking for the bill payment. They were also ready for discount and any price negotiation, my friend said. Eventually, my friend simply ignored their calls and messages and they were left with no payment. I think if anyone treats them like this, they may stop doing business like this and tarnishing growing OA business.
ED says:
August 7, 2014 at 10:34 AM
Appropriately, according to his likely fake LinkedIn profile, Joseph G. is the ?”Fianace Executive at OMICS Group Incorporation”.
Ole, Ole! says:
August 7, 2014 at 11:51 AM
Is it not possible to try and get this Joseph Marreddy arrested? There seems to be enough evidence on this page alone showing that he is scamming scientists. His address lists in California, but is he really in Hyderabad? The other thing I noticed among this truly scandalous greedy, non-academic “publisher”, was the clear omission of a very important adjective (in square parentheses): “with the support from 30,000 well qualified [unpaid] editorial board members”. ONe way to sink this boat would be to get the 30,000 editors to resign.
Dan Riley says:
August 7, 2014 at 1:38 PM
Undisclosed fees are generally unenforceable (in common law terms, there’s no contract), though of course the details will vary by jurisdiction. If you are a victim of a predatory publisher and are associated with an institution with legal staff, talk to them.
The OMICS group business model is similar to patent trolls and ambulance chasers, in that they depend on people being willing to settle.
Yehuda says:
August 7, 2014 at 8:06 PM
I receive unsolicited e-mails from open-access journal publishers on a regular basis. I routinely delete all messages listed on this site. This has saved me from the annoyances discussed in this thread.
