Canadian Professor Suspended After Exposing Deceptive ‘Predatory Publishing’

Canadian Professor Derek Pyne has been suspended from Thompson Rivers University in the aftermath of his work to expose the deceptive practices of the “predatory publishing” industry.

Professor Derek Pyne of Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada, has come under fire for his work in exposing the practice of predatory academic journals, which ask professors to pay a fee in order to have their work published. In his paper, Pyne mentioned that nearly all of the professors at his college had published something in a predatory journal.

In a paper published in 2017, Pyne attacked “predatory publishers.” Read how Pyne describes their business model at the outset of his paper:

Basically, predatory journals are journals that claim to be refereed but in reality publish articles in exchange for the payment of fees by authors. Beall and others have highlighted the negative aspects of predatory journals. Many point out that readers may wrongly believe such publications are legitimate scientific journals. For example, 9/11 conspiracy theorists routinely cite an article in a predatory journal as evidence in support of their views. Other such journals contain articles that support pseudoscience. One even contains a study of ancient Martian management practices.

Pyne highlights a criticism of such journals that has been slowing gaining steam over the past few years. While professors get credit for publishing work, the appearance of an academic piece in a predatory journal gives it no indicia of credibility. Take for example the paper, “The Conceptual Penis,” a hoax project produced by two academics from the Pacific Northwest. The paper argued that “penises cause climate change” and other global issues. The paper was swiftly published in a predatory journal after a brief review.

Despite his noble efforts, Pyne has faced a serious repercussion for his work. On July 17, Pyne was suspended without pay. His colleagues, still, are defending him. Zena Sheldon, an economics professor at Thompson Rivers University, says that Pyne is motivated by a desire to repair academia.

“Derek is a well-read, deep-thinking, honest man and a good economist. While he is, in my opinion, a bit stubborn, that is arguably a typical academic characteristic,” Sheldon said in a comment.

“Can Derek take unpopular positions and continue holding them? Yes. Is it possible he refuses to be converted by others even if they are right? Yes. But I do not see him as being driven by ego, nor a desire to win per se. I believe he is driven by an insatiable desire for the truth,” she finished. “Even if he is wholly wrong, which I frankly doubt in this case, he is compos mentis.”