Taxacom: Special Issue “Diversity and Taxonomy of Scarabaeoidea”

Mon Jan 27 09:26:24 CST 2025

Fully agree. I « had to » publish in one of their journals and was less than impressed. Would never do it voluntarily. The problem is that it seems less and less people do care… not sure, maybe it’s me. 
Cheers
Jean 

Envoyé de mon iPhone

> Le 27 janv. 2025 à 14:53, Michael Schmitt via Taxacom <taxacom at lists.ku.edu> a écrit :
> 
> Dear Frank, dear colleagues,
> 
> although I have no doubts that you, Frank, do a proper job as an editor, I want to state my concerns as to the style and possible risks of MDPI journals. Besides some direct personal experience that seriously speak against the correctness of the editorial conduct in some cases, I point to the recent case of a clearly poorly edited taxonomic paper in MDPI Diversity:
> 
> Rivas JA, De La Quintana P, Mancuso M , et al. Disentangling the anacondas: revealing a new green species and rethinking yellows. Diversity 2024a;16:127. https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.3390%2Fd16020127&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479665353%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4bzhFvJk1%2BTysEo1a0319ZOT6czQ%2BpOleVxSwlDLAJc%3D&reserved=0. See comments on this paper in Wuester et al (2024) How not to describe a species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 21 zlae099: 1-26 doi 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae099.
> 
> Additional concerns can be found here:
> 
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpredatoryjournals.org%2Fnews%2Ff%2Fis-mdpi-a-predatory-publisher&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479687766%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2Q%2Fc1NmGbSu2TL60fEheJSLEc1zuVQiRDYnmON9l5Ms%3D&reserved=0
> 
> There you find the important point: *MDPI* is using some of the same techniques of predatory journals. So the question is simple: if you are a scientist, should you work with *MDPI*?
> 
> Just in case someone cares.
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Theo Michael Schmitt
> 
> 
> 
>> Am 27.01.2025 um 03:43 schrieb Frank T. Krell via Taxacom:
>> Dear Colleagues and Friends,
>> 
>> The two open-access journals “Diversity” and “Taxonomy”, published by MDPI, Basel, Switzerland, are inviting you to contribute to the Special Issue “Diversity and Taxonomy of Scarabaeoidea” (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2Fjournal%2Fdiversity%2Fspecial_issues%2F5993P88LY3%2Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2Fjournal%2Ftaxonomy%2Fspecial_issues%2FIC75WN3I5C&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479700374%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=55tw%2B3BszveQtGP38zdkYIfIoZ3HaCo9nPA2ixEJH%2BU%3D&reserved=0). I agreed to serve as Editor-in-Chief for this Special Issue after I had excellent experience with the journal Diversity in 2023, in terms of quality of peer review, editorial handling, and speed of publication.
>> As these journals are open-access, they require an Article Processing Charge, which is higher for the established journal Diversity (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2Fjournal%2Fdiversity%2Fapc&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479712541%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cMQ9Y65nzbdEf3RYC63LqcQOM1yQcpzon34n18V3heY%3D&reserved=0) than for the relatively new journal Taxonomy (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2Fjournal%2Ftaxonomy%2Fapc&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479726245%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8p80bKhU4ZbY9Uv5qK4Oq984xbsJM%2BNJPv7z6D%2FFzCw%3D&reserved=0). If you do not have funding for such fees, reductions are possible in cases. Let me know what you would like to submit, and I find out what we can do to accommodate your budget situation.
>> Manuscripts of purely taxonomic content would be assigned to Taxonomy, manuscripts considering broader questions of diversity would be assigned to Diversity.
>> The language of publication is English. For authors who are not fluent in English, the publisher offers a English Language Editing Service, which is not included in the Article Processing Charge, but seems to be reasonable:https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2Fauthors%2Fenglish&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479738313%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hAD9hMK30w2kBNPrZzYMJubDq8%2FX5zEcG4CIaoybTFQ%3D&reserved=0
>> If you are not afraid of having your manuscript published fast (and well-reviewed), please consider this opportunity. The current submission deadline is 31 October 2025.
>> 
>> Thanks, and all the best
>> 
>> Frank
>> 
>> Dr. Frank-Thorsten Krell
>> 
>> Senior Curator of Entomology, Editor-in-Chief
>> Department of Zoology
>> Denver Museum of Nature & Science
>> 2001 Colorado Blvd
>> Denver, Colorado 80205-5798, U.S.A.
>> Frank.krell at dmns.org<mailto:Frank.krell at dmns.org>
>> Phone 303.370.8244
>> Fax 303.331.6492
>> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fprofile%2FFrank-Thorsten-Krell&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479750148%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=svC06tWHlR8WONZrenrqhd9cVtJ22%2BmzVKAZuk1OLDo%3D&reserved=0
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>> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmns.org%2Fscience%2Fresearch%2Fcolorado-entomology-research%2F&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479786193%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=APBPJPA%2BwN23N5T3qYtsPejtARuOF8MJaUGzjg35YtE%3D&reserved=0
>> 
>> 
>> Regardless of the time I send this email, I do not expect you to read, take any action, or reply to this email outside of your usual working hours.
>> 
>>   *   Step into our new experience "Discovering Teen Rex<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmns.org%2Fvisit%2Fexhibitions%2Fdiscovering-teen-rex%2F&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479798425%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fWUVGP0WA5sHMimTvBVyk6mYbNB23kXOJQHiPP%2BeUCM%3D&reserved=0>" to witness scientists excavating a rare juvenile T.rex fossil, followed by the "T. REX<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure1.dmns.org%2Ftrex-3d-requires-museum-admission&data=05%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C8343dad108a040068ad508dd3ee789c7%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638735888479810244%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=t71mQi4Y5rQFbK%2FBKze2L%2Ffc1MuhXK71jC4zeBe3Iv8%3D&reserved=0>" movie on the giant screen Infinity Theater.
>> 
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> --
> apl.Prof.i.R. Dr. Michael Schmitt, FLS
> Universitaet Greifswald
> Allgemeine & Systematische Zoologie
> Loitzer Str. 26
> D-17489 Greifswald
> Germany
> 
> Tel.: ++49 (0) 3834-420 4239
> E-Mail:michael.schmitt at uni-greifswald.de
> 
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