184: A race to the bottom

There is a wide variability in the quality of papers published in gold open access journals and a wide variate of open access journals, some of which prioritise quality research

Diamond open access and green open access are alternative models to consider.

The publishing industry needs more transparency and mandatory reporting of data. The pressure to publish more can lead to a crowding out problem and a focus on quantity over quality.

Determining the quality of journals and papers is challenging, and there are varying levels of quality within different tiers of journals.

Fraudulent publishing practices, such as paper mills and fake papers, can be facilitated by the market for publishing.

The Publons service (R.I.P) and similar platforms can improve the transparency of peer review and provide a record of reviewers' contributions.

Society journals may offer a better publishing model as they have a reputation to maintain and are less likely to prioritize quantity over quality.