Research Ethics FDP: Fake Journals & Predatory Publishing

Protecting Your Research: Fake Journals, Predatory Publishing and Publication Misconduct

Research Ethics Series | 3-Day Online Faculty Development Programme

Publishing decisions shape your research visibility, academic credibility and professional reputation. How can you recognise a cloned journal, assess questionable impact factor claims and identify unethical publishing practices before they affect your work?

ServiceSetu Academics presents a three-day online FDP on “Protecting Your Research: Fake Journals, Predatory Publishing and Publication Misconduct,” led by Prof. (Dr.) Sumit Narula, Dean, Times School of Media.

Through live examples and case discussions, the programme will help faculty members, doctoral scholars and researchers navigate publication risks and strengthen their understanding of research ethics.

Programme Details

Registration: [Insert registration link]

About the FDP

Fake and cloned journals, predatory publishing practices and misleading journal metrics can make publication decisions challenging—even for experienced researchers. Alongside these risks, plagiarism, paper mills and authorship selling raise serious concerns for the credibility of scholarly work.

Part of the ServiceSetu Research Ethics Series, this FDP connects ethical principles with practical situations researchers encounter during journal selection, manuscript submission and publication. The sessions will focus on recognising warning signs, evaluating publishing claims and making informed decisions.

Day-Wise Programme

Day 1 · 2 December 2026

Identifying Fake and Cloned Journals

Learn how fake and cloned journals mislead researchers by imitating legitimate publications. Live examples will illustrate warning signs and practical approaches to checking journal identity and credibility.

Key focus areas:

• Recognising fake and cloned journals.

• Identifying suspicious journal websites and publication invitations.

• Understanding practical journal verification approaches.

• Examining live examples of deceptive journal practices.

Day 2 · 3 December 2026

Predatory Journals and Fraudulent or Misleading Impact Factors

Develop a critical approach to journal claims and publication offers. This session will use live examples to examine predatory publishing practices and questionable impact factor claims.

Key focus areas:

• Recognising warning signs of predatory publishing.

• Assessing journal transparency and publishing claims.

• Identifying fraudulent or misleading impact factors.

• Evaluating live examples before making submission decisions.

Day 3 · 4 December 2026

Plagiarism and Publication Misconduct

Understand different forms of plagiarism, detection and the UGC Regulations, 2018. Case discussions will also examine retractions, paper mills and authorship selling.

Key focus areas:

• Forms of plagiarism and approaches to detection.

• Understanding the UGC Regulations, 2018.

• Retractions and their implications for scholarly publishing.

• Paper mills and authorship selling cases.

• Responsibilities associated with ethical research and publication.

What Will You Learn?

By the end of the FDP, participants should be better equipped to:

• Assess journal credibility before submitting a manuscript.

• Recognise fake, cloned and potentially predatory journals.

• Question misleading journal metrics and publication claims.

• Understand plagiarism-related concerns and detection findings.

• Identify ethical risks involving authorship and organised publication misconduct.

• Apply research integrity principles to publishing and research supervision.

Who Should Attend?

The FDP is designed for:

• Faculty members and early-career academics.

• Doctoral scholars and postdoctoral researchers.

• Research supervisors and academic mentors.

• Librarians and research support professionals.

• Academic administrators involved in research quality and integrity.

The programme is relevant across management, commerce, economics, social sciences and other research disciplines.

Resource Person

Prof. (Dr.) Sumit Narula
Dean, Times School of Media

Prof. Narula has conducted the FDPs on the similar themes at IITs, IIMs, NITs and top B-Schools across India.

Prof. Narula will lead the three sessions through explanations, live examples and case discussions focused on research ethics and publication practices.

Registration and Fees

Indian Participants: INR 1,000
International Participants: USD 30
ServiceSetu Members: FREE

Register here: [Insert registration link]

Please review the registration page for joining instructions and applicable participation details.

About ServiceSetu Academics

ServiceSetu Academics is committed to empowering the academic community by informing and upskilling. Through faculty development programmes, research workshops and academic initiatives, it supports research capability, professional development and academic excellence.

Explore our programmes and initiatives: www.servicesetu.org

For enquiries:
Email: info@servicesetu.org
Phone: +91 93479 83215