The Proliferation and Predatory Journals and Institutional Response in Ethiopia.

The paper examines the proliferation and propensity of publications in predatory journals by academics in institutions of Higher Education in Ethiopia. Predatory journals are known for collecting money at the expense of scientific knowledge. The study consulted authors and their published articles from seven purposively selected universities. The study found that over 89 percent of the articles were published in predatory journals. If this trend continues, it may result in the development of incompetent research and the proliferation of poor quality research, which would tarnish the reputation of the academe in Ethiopia and hamper the development endvour of the country. The phenomena may also result in knowledge loss and ruins the prestige of institutions. Limiting the scope of databases in which the journals should be indexed and accredited to Web of Science and ProQuest may help to address this scourge significantly.