MERIT Rounds – Health Sciences Library – January 2024
Jan 16, 2024
5:00PM to 6:00PM
Date/Time
Date(s) - January 16, 2024
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Register here: https://bit.ly/MERITRoundsJan2024
Location: Zoom
Navigating the Scholarly Landscape: Understanding APC Waivers, Predatory Publishing, and Research Metrics in Academic Publishing
This session will provide a brief update on the research support initiatives in the Health Sciences Library. In particular, the session offers an overview of critical elements shaping the landscape of scholarly publishing. The discussion explores three key areas: Article Processing Charge (APC) waivers, predatory publishing practices, and the evolving area of research metrics. Participants will gain insights into the complexities surrounding the often-challenging landscape of Article Processing Charges (APCs) within academic publishing with a focus on the recent APC waiver and discount initiatives that McMaster is offering through publisher agreements with the libraries. We will provide tips and strategies for accessing APC waivers and discounts including the eligibility criteria and application procedures. In addition, the discussion will explore predatory publishing and the deceptive tactics employed by predatory journals and conferences. We will provide practical tools and strategies to identify and avoid predatory publishing practices thus safeguarding the integrity of your research. Lastly, the session provides a brief introduction to research metrics that are used to measure scholarly impact including traditional measures like citation indices to alternative metrics such as altmetrics. This is a great opportunity to learn more about these topics, ask questions, share personal experiences and gain insights into the challenges and opportunities within the scholarly publishing ecosystem.
Neera Bhatnagar, BSc, MLIS, is the Head of Public Services & Systems, Coordinator of Research Support at the Health Sciences Library, McMaster University. In addition to being a senior manager in the library, she is an expert searcher and is actively involved with research teams working on systematic reviews, practice guidelines and other complex topics. Other interests include open access publishing, evidence-based practice in healthcare and exploring the use of AI technologies.