Naija! We dey talk am again, dis time na about dem predatory journals wey dey scatter our academic realm!

Make we begin from the gist: predatory journals na those ones wey go just collect money from researchers show dem dey go publish dem work without even checking if di research na correct or if e get any gabrus. Dem dey promise quick quick publication, but di quality? E dey ground like ‘free lunch’!

See eh, dis matter dey affect many academic fans for Africa. No be say e be dem no get brain or ideas, nah! But wahala be say dem work dey hide for di shadows of local journals wey never reach international level. Dem no index am for Scopus or hallowed places like Web of Science, so na wetin e mean? E mean say di whole world no go see wetin dem dey work on, yet person go dey here jubilate for local ground!

African scholars dey face wahala for dis publication game as dem dey fight to prove their worth. Lots of dem don dey flex muscles for local platforms, but those platforms nor dey carry weight outside di country. In fact, international bodies go just dey look dem like say dem nor sabi anything. Na only quantity matter, no be quality, as dem dey chase promotion like dem dey run from snake!

Listen up, wey you dey hear dis gist; when dem dey judge African scholars, dem dey use indexing and citation as di main tools. E no dey matter if you don write plenty work; if dem not fit see am for global platforms, e go be like say person dey speak to wall.

And make una no forget one serious gist: di feeling of road block for international opportunities go dey choke scholars. Dem fit dey publish well for local journals, but international employers go just dey look say ‘wetin happen? Why your citations low?’ If you mix with those predatory journals, dem go run away from you like disease!

I no dey gbege; if you wan be serious scholar, wey dey target di world, you need to seek for di right indexed journals. No go dey hasty to publish; quality na di key! We need to overhaul this system wey dey reward quantity over quality.

Universities, make una sit down gather and re-jig di promotion criteria. Pure and quality should be di main talk so people fit sabi say una dey serious about science! The government too get level; let dem invest in helping scholars reach quality journals without targeting predatory outlets. Make dem provide funding, make dem see wetin fit really improve our global standing.

Wetin I dey talk be say, dis year wey we dey enter, na from local comfort to global visibility! Predatory journals na trap, but if we fit focus on quality, dem go open doors wey nobody fit shut.