WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2015 3 Editor’s Note Publishing in peer-reviewed journals is the cornerstone of communication in science. Prior to publication, a manuscript goes through a lengthy and deliberate process of preparation, peer review and editing. Trust is placed in the integrity and reputation of the authors, reviewers, editors and the journal to produce the current version of scientific truth. With the development of the internet, and particularly the establishment of PubMed in 1996, traditional publishers established an online presence and new journals emerged that were online only. Many of these journals were open access (OA), meaning that no subscription fees were charged and access to articles was free. Open access publishing has been successful and many publishers and journals are credible and trustworthy (e.g. PLoS ONE). Open access journals may not meet the highest professional standards for quality but may serve specific niche needs with respect to subject area or geographic focus. Furthermore, there is a large and expanding market for publication from scientists in China, India and many developing countries and open access journals can meet this need. Over the last couple of decades, there has been an enormous proliferation of OA scientific journals, creating a situation where detecting fraud is increasingly a challenge. In 2013, the biologist John Bohannon prepared a fictitious manuscript describing an error-filled and deeply flawed study on a new cancer drug and managed to get it accepted for publication by 157 of 304 OA journals, pointing out the serious deficiencies in the peer-review system for those journals. Rather than the traditional model of readers or subscribers paying for access to scientific information, the OA model shifted to an author-pays model. Inevitably the author-pays model incentivized unscrupulous publishers who recognized a moneymaking opportunity and didn’t care about the quality control enabled by the peer-review process, thereby corrupting the integrity and quality of scientific communication. These are the predatory OA publishers, for which the main motivation is profit, not the dissemination of scholarly information. Predatory publishers intentionally deceive research scientists into submitting their work and then charge them for it. Predatory publishing has predated open access and predatory Beware Predatory Publishing in Aquaculture undertaking. However, providing consistent, accurate and current information on aquaculture to these different groups is one of our primary missions. The Promotion and Membership Committee is large and diverse, with membership reflecting all geographical regions where WAS has current and potential new members. This committee will continue to build on earlier successful initiatives to increase membership in areas such as India, China and Africa, and to propose ways to enhance the value of WAS membership. Complementary activities are being pursued by the Affiliations Committee, which is retooling agreements with other professional organizations that seek mutually beneficial relationships with WAS. Although affiliates are not necessarily WAS members, a positive association with WAS and increased awareness of our merits could attract new members. The Industry Relations committee is working to increase industry participation in key Society events such as conferences, workshops and many other WAS committee activities. The very successful Aquaforum held in conjunction with WA 2015 in Jeju is an example of how workshops focused on industry can add value to WAS events and membership. It was rather telling that we had record low attendance at the WAS Business meeting, which happened to overlap the Aquaforum! The Student Activities Committee is a dynamic group that blends the talents of current and future aquaculture professionals President, continued from page 2 to address Society needs. They are systematically assessing and refining the application and judging procedures for student awards. These awards are an excellent way for students to gain early career recognition and mentoring opportunities. Working closely with that group, the Awards Committee is developing a new award in honor of Mudnakudu C. Nandeesha, and is actively soliciting nominations for the existing Honorary Life, Exemplary Service and Fellows awards. Likewise, the Election committee is seeking nominations for dedicated individuals who are willing and able to make a substantial commitment to WAS through Board service. We are seeking candidates for President-Elect, Secretary and two Directors. Committees focused on Finance and Long-range Planning, as well as Policies, Rules and Regulations are developing a policy to enable WAS to make robust, well-informed financial decisions under different economic scenarios. The Policies Committee is also in the initial stages of developing a distinctive brand for WAS, which will be essential for marketing the many attributes of our Society to different user groups. As always, Carol and Judy (Home Office), Mario Stael, and the Cooksey clan play vital roles in planning, facilitating and coordinating our numerous and varied WAS activities. I will continue to rely on their guidance and that of fellow Board members, Past Presidents and Fellows to help lead WAS. However, broad engagement of the full membership is the real key to ensuring the growth, health and future of our Society. — Rebecca Lochmann, President (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)
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