Stop paying predatory publishers of academic journals—A policy proposal to restore scientific integrity and transparency - Rainey - FEBS Letters - Wiley Online Library

Abstract:  Scientific publishing is undergoing a systemic breakdown. Thousands of journals now collect article processing charges (APCs)—increasingly paid from public research funds—while providing minimal editorial oversight. This erodes standards, distorts incentives and threatens public trust in science. APC payments to six major publishers exceeded 8 billion dollars between 2019 and 2023, with almost no transparency over how these fees are set or spent. This cannot continue. We propose that public and institutional funds support journals—whether through APCs, subscriptions or bundled agreements—only where they are accredited against a transparent, enforceable quality standard. Implemented in stages and led by funding bodies and learned societies, such accreditation would narrow the space in which predatory journals operate without resorting to blacklists.