"List of journals with objectionable practices", scientific excellence or scientific credibility?

Abstract

On October 6, 2023, the committee organized by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) published its recommendations on the Hungarian Science Bibliography website titled 'Recommendations for Addressing Articles in Journals with Questionable Practices - MTA's Guidelines on New Publication Misuse.' The release of these recommendations sparked considerable controversy within the Hungarian scientific community, primarily due to its reference to the Norwegian performance-based research funding system. This paper seeks to investigate journals rated as '0' according to the Norwegian list, focusing on their compliance with specific journal requirements. The analysis relies on descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that the '0' rating does not solely reflect scientific excellence but primarily signifies scientific credibility, therefore it can be viewed as a legitimate criterion for journal management. Consequently, this study presents policy recommendations, particularly concerning effective journal management and the concerns on the issue of the mega-journal publication.