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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Carlos,
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I agree with most of the points you made on this issue, but perhaps not labeling them as “criminals”. Probably similarly to your experience, each week I receive sveral such
invitations either as an editor or an invited author with fees waived. Unless it is coming as a pesonal invitation from someone I know very well, I ignore them as you and probably others also do. Here are my experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">While serving on the College Tenure and Promotion Committee few years ago, I saw some files having 2-3 papers from
such journals out of the requied 4 papers. Some faculty members commented about it but they still voted yes. I did NOT vote no either as the faculty in the particular department has the best judgement about the quality of research regrardless where the papers
are published. <o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I pubslihed a review paper in
<b>Universe</b> by MDPI: <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/6/182">https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/7/6/182</a> It is in the special volume on neutron stars and gravitational waves edited by people you probably know well:
<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/universe/special_issues/NSGWO">https://www.mdpi.com/journal/universe/special_issues/NSGWO</a> I can NOT refuse the inviation from one of the editors (Bombaci at the U. of Pissa and Fermi Institute) as I owes him on several
things (he also contributed a well cited chapter in a Book I edited when I was young and need supports). After 2.5 years, the paper has been cited 120 times on Google Scholars, read by 5506 times so far. It is NOT bad at all compared to my other publications,
actually better than some of my papers in PRL/PRC. Of course, I really worked hard in writing it.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">About the particularly journal
<b>Particle,</b> the conference proceedings of the workshop series on neutron stars and general relativity organized by
</span><a href="https://inspirehep.net/authors/989473"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#0050B3;background:white">Armen Sedrakian</span></a>
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">have been published there.
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I attended the last 3 of these workshop but never contributed anything to the processding, it is not because I do not respect the journal but really because I did not have enough new
materials for the journal as the time. Jame Lattimer (one of the most famous experts on neutron stars as you know) also attened the last 3 of these workshops. I was surprized that he actully wrote a paper for the proceedings last year
<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2571-712X/6/1/3">https://www.mdpi.com/2571-712X/6/1/3</a>. It has been cited 30 times after 6 months of publication.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I have seen some really poor papers in both
<b>Universe </b>and <b>Particle</b> by people I know well. But there is really nothing we can do ….<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">So, in my oppinion: (1) the faculty members know well what are the good work regardless where they are published.
(2) Soon or later, most journals will be open access, some of them are very good but some are really bad. (3) It will be gradually more challenging for the authorities to judge the quality of what they are proud of … about the editorship/publications/journals.
But there is nothing we can do ….<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">What we can do: enjoy a nice weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Bao-An<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">phas-faculty_staff_others <phas-faculty_staff_others-bounces@tamuc.edu> on behalf of Carlos Bertulani <Carlos.Bertulani@tamuc.edu><br>
<b>Date: </b>Friday, January 12, 2024 at 10:56 AM<br>
<b>To: </b>"phas-faculty_staff_others@tamuc.edu" <phas-faculty_staff_others@mailman.tamuc.edu><br>
<b>Cc: </b>Andrea Graham <Andrea.Graham@tamuc.edu><br>
<b>Subject: </b>[phas-faculty_staff_others] Fwd: [Particles] (ISSN: 2571-712X) Invitation to Contribute to 'Particles' with a Full Waiver<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Sorry to bother again, but these predatory journals are criminals. They use superlatives, such as “impressive expertise”. See below.
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I promise this is the last time I send such a message.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Carlos<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Begin forwarded message:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">From: </span></b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">particles <particles@mdpi.com></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">Subject: [Particles] (ISSN: 2571-712X) Invitation to Contribute to 'Particles' with a Full Waiver</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">Date: </span></b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">January 12, 2024 at 5:04:12 AM CST</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">To: </span></b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><carlos.bertulani@tamuc.edu></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">**External Email**<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p>Dear Dr. Bertulani,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>We hope this email finds you well. Given your impressive expertise and significant contributions to the field, on behalf of our Editor-in-Chief, we cordially invite you to submit your next research paper or review article to
<i>Particles</i> (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/particles">https://www.mdpi.com/journal/particles</a>) free of charge.
<br>
<br>
<i>Particles</i> (ISSN 2571-712X) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published quarterly online by MDPI, containing research in the areas of nuclear physics and particle physics. Topics also include related domains of experimental/theoretical high-energy
physics and particle astrophysics. This journal has been included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI, IF 1.4) and Scopus (CiteScore 3.3). Benefits when publishing with
<i>Particles</i>: <br>
1. Open access; <br>
2. High visibility; <br>
3. Rapid publication times upon acceptance. <br>
<br>
If you are interested, please send us a short abstract or a tentative title for initial checking, and an expected submission date for our reference. Please refer to the instructions for manuscript preparation at:
<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/particles/instructions">https://www.mdpi.com/journal/particles/instructions</a>, a guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available here.<br>
<br>
Once your manuscript is ready, please submit it via the online manuscript submission and editorial system at:<br>
<a href="http://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=particles">http://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=particles</a><br>
<br>
We sincerely hope that you can accept this invitation. Please do let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to hearing from you.<br>
<br>
Best regards,<br>
<br>
Mr. Ethan Zhang<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Managing Editor<br>
<i>Particles</i> (<a href="http://www.mdpi.com/journal/particles">http://www.mdpi.com/journal/particles</a>)<br>
Indexed by ESCI (IF 1.4), Scopus CiteScore: 3.3 <br>
Twitter: @Particles_MDPI <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Editor's Choice Articles:<br>
<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/Particles/editors_choice">https://www.mdpi.com/journal/Particles/editors_choice</a><br>
------------<br>
Disclaimer: The information and files contained in this message are<br>
confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity<br>
to whom they are addressed. If you have received this message in error,<br>
please notify me and delete this message from your system. You may not<br>
copy this message in its entirety or in part, or disclose its contents<br>
to anyone. <o:p></o:p></p>
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