More and more scams are targeting radiology trainees
Radiology trainees need to be aware of invitations from predatory publications and unaccredited conferences, as they are frequently targeted by such scams, according to survey responses published recently in Clinical Imaging.
In fact, over half of the group surveyed reported receiving unsolicited invitations from sham publications at some point during their training. Although such outreach is not uncommon among radiology specialists—research has suggested that over a span of just two weeks, radiology staff receive an average of 20.7 invitations to submit manuscripts to bogus journals and 4.1 invitations to speak at unsuitable events—trainees may be more susceptible to buy into a scam.
“Trainees can potentially be more vulnerable to predatory invitations particularly since they may be naive or may be unaware of the dangers of these schemes and such invitations may have personally addressed information and flattering language, tempting the recipients to seize the opportunity,” corresponding author Dhairya A. Lakhani, with the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in Baltimore, and colleagues caution. “Additionally, for young physicians the proffered opportunity to become an editorial board member, editor-in-chief, or author of an invited manuscript may seem difficult to resist.”
This is an occurrence that has not yet been well studied in trainees, the authors note. To get a better idea of how just common these invitations are, the team sent surveys to 50 radiology residency and 20 neuroradiology fellowship program leaders to distribute to their students.
The questionnaire was completed by 151 trainees. Of those, 53% said they had received unsolicited emails from predatory publications; another 32% reported receiving emails from fraudulent conferences.
Of the respondents, 89% reported previously publishing a peer-reviewed publication, while 64 % published as corresponding author, 62% in an open access publication and 83% had presented abstract at national meeting. These individuals garnered the most unsolicited invitations.
Trainees may be vulnerable to these scams for a number of reasons. For starters, sham publications charge lower fees, making it more financially feasible for authors eager to be published to do so. It’s also not uncommon for them to by-pass appropriate peer review processes, which could help trainees get their foot in the publishing door without having to cut through as much red tape.
The pressure for trainees to present and publish research may make them more vulnerable to publishing scams. However, they should be warned that if an invitation seems too good to be true, it probably is, the authors caution.
“Considering the eagerness of trainees to publish, it is advantageous for them to invest the time to read these invitations with a wary eye, consult with mentors if needed, and ascertain the legitimacy of these emails; otherwise engaging in such efforts will waste precious time they could spend on more productive activities.”
Learn more about the survey results here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.