To the Editor: Since our publication in the Journal,1 it would seem that a simple case report lead-authored by an intern has rendered him a virtual expert in the fields of infectious diseases, cell biology and cardiology, just to name a few. Or at least, one could be led to believe so with the sheer number of enticing invitations received in our corresponding author's inbox (about five per week), inviting his “eminent self” to write journal articles, sit on editorial boards, and speak at international cardiology conferences in far-reaching and exotic locations such as Guangzhou and Dubai.2
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- 1. Chau AM, Xu LL, Fairhall JM, et al. Brain abscess due to Propionibacterium propionicum in Eisenmenger syndrome. Med J Aust 2012; 196: 525-526. <MJA full text>
- 2. Gransalke K. Fake conferences. Lab Times 2009; (6): 6-7.
- 3. Butler D. Investigating journals: the dark side of publishing. Nature 2013; 495: 433-435.
- 4. Bohannon J. Who's afraid of peer review? Science 2013; 342: 60-65.
- 5. Schekman R. How journals like Nature, Cell and Science are damaging science. The Guardian 2013; 10 Dec. (accessed Feb 2014).
No relevant disclosures.