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To Catch A Predatory Publisher

open access, Publishing, writing

Guest post by billsullivan 
ORCID: 0000-0003-1823-8642

I often wonder if other scientists wake up every morning to delete a deluge of spam messages from no-name journals and questionable conferences. Sometimes one of these emails will escape my extermination efforts and I end up reading it by accident. The invitations from so-called “predatory” publishers are so transparently fake and poorly written that a part of me finds their annoying overtures oddly amusing.

I realize that predatory publishing and phishing emails are not laughing matters. There has been an explosion of predatory publishers trying to con scientists out of their money. For a fee, these journals or books are just frothing at the mouth to publish your work collect your cash. Some may even invite you to serve on their “prestigious” editorial board, but this is just to lend an air of authenticity to their sham operation.

What separates a predatory publisher from a legitimate science publisher? Both charge you large sums of money for you to do all the work, but the latter employs a rigorous peer-review process that ensures the articles they publish have been properly vetted. Sting operations have revealed that predatory journals will publish absolute gibberish, proving they are phonies who just want to make fast cash. A recent sting operation involved the submission of a manuscript about midi-chlorians from Star Wars, written by Dr. Lucas McGeorge and Dr. Annette Kin. The fictional paper was accepted by four of these flimflam publications masquerading as a legitimate scientific journal.

In an effort to help root out some of these predatory publishers, I’ve compiled some of my favorite lines from the suspect emails I receive on a daily basis. I hope this helps people spot dubious publishers. The typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors were left in place intentionally—exactly as they were sent to me. These types of errors represent a big red flag that a predatory publisher is stalking you. Please don’t take them as a sign that the PLOS editorial staff is sleeping on the job!

 

The Greeting That Proves They Have No Idea Who You Are

Fake journals will address you in unusual ways, or not at all! Some make no effort to conceal that they merely cut and paste your name into the slot of a form letter. Here are some examples I have received.

Dear Dr. WJ William J,

Dear ,

>Dear Dr.Jr WJ ,

Dear Dr. SULLIVAN,

Dear Dr. William J. Sullivan, Jr.1,2*,

Dear Dr. Jr,

Dear Dr. Jr William,

Dear Author,

Dear Researcher,

Dear Dr. Ferris (or someone else who is not me),

The opening is almost always followed by something like this:

“Greetings from the [PREDATORY] Journal!!!” or “Hope you are doing great!!” or “Hope our e-mail finds you well and in healthy mood.”

 

A New Type Of Sport:  Extreme Flattery

Reading these emails can be a big boost to your ego, but keep in mind that thousands of others received the same exact praise. I’ve been called “esteemed,” “brilliant,” “magnificent,” and the “leader in the field.” I should show these emails to my mom; fake or not, she’d be very proud to see her son put on such a high pedestal.

They also make our work out to be the greatest thing since the microscope:

“It’s your eminence and reputation for quality of research and trustworthiness in the field of [insert a field that usually has no relationship to mine whatsoever] and for which you have been invited to become an honourable editorial board member.”

“I am impressed by your quality work and I really value your contribution towards recent work.”

“We have gone through your papers and find it is a wonderful resource for upcoming works.”

“It would be our honour and great fortune if you will share your manuscript.”

“It is our immense pleasure to invite you and your research allies to submit manuscript.” (I call all of my collaborators my Research Allies now, and warn everyone that if you’re not with us, you’re against us).

Some of the spam even tries to reassure you that it is not spam. Although I don’t doubt the last sentence (in bold).

“This is not a spam message, and has been sent to you because of your eminence in the field. If, however, you do not want to receive any email in future then reply us with the subject remove /opt-out. We are concern for your privacy.”

 

Smell the Desperation?

There is a palpable urgency in these invitations to get their hands on your work cash before someone else does…

“We consider Mini Reviews, Original Research/ Review Article, Case Reports, Short Communication, Conference Proceedings, Commentaries, Book Reviews etc.”

“[Our journal] publishes all kinds of papers in all areas of this field.”

“It is our immense pleasure to invite you to submit Research, Review, Mini review, Short commentary, Commentary, Case Reports, Methodologies, Systematic Reviews (or any type of article) for the upcoming issue of our journal.”

“We necessitate your plate of stuff in the frame of article.”

“We are in a deadly need of an article.”

 

The Closing That Is Too Close For Comfort

Emails from predatory publishers often close with more friendly compliments, with the hope that you will continue to provide them a constant research revenue stream…

“We look forward to a close and lasting scientific relationship for the benefit of scientific community.”

“Anticipating for a positive response!”

“Thank you and have a great day doctor!”

“Our journey is effectively heading.” (whatever that means)

And here are some of the more amusing ways they describe my anticipated work:

“We await your adorable paper.”

“Your paper will serve as a wave maker.”

“We aspire you also to be a significant part of our team by publishing your magnificent article.”

And one that is just plain baffling:

“For future anticipation to reach out scientific community we want your support towards the success of Journal.”

They may even try to get you to do their dirty work for them. I take the following sentence to mean that they want me to spread the word about their predatory journal and invite my colleagues to be suckered into submitting work to them as well:

“As this is an invited submission request, you can also suggest your colleagues.”

 

Some Final Warning Signs

Be wary of any inaugural issues or invitations that ask you to submit your paper through an email address.

These predatory publishers may also try to give you a false sense of the importance of their “journal.” One of these invitations boasted that “email newsletters are being circulated to 90,000+ subscribers.” All this tells me is that 89,999 other people received their unsolicited spam.

I’ve also noticed they are often willing to discount their publication fees if you send them something – “anything at all” – within seven to ten days. No legitimate journal expects you to whip up a quality article in that short a time.

Oh, and one more thing:  many of these emails have an excessive number of exclamation points!!!

I hope that you are now better equipped to catch a predator. If you still aren’t sure if your email invitation describes a bona fide journal or not, you can check Beall’s List of Predatory Journals and Publishers or see if the journal is indexed on PubMed. Here’s hoping that you don’t get fooled!!!

Originally posted on the 4th October 2017 – https://blogs.plos.org/scicomm/2017/10/04/to-catch-a-predatory-publisher. Reposted here with permission.

Writing About Methods- 3rd October 2018

PG research, Training, writing

Join Dr Patrick Brindle from INTO Content  on the 3rd October 2018 9:30-16:30 for Writing about Methods course. To book click here

The session will talk about a range of practical approaches they can adopt when writing about methodology in the social sciences. The course focuses on 20 or so writing strategies and thought experiments designed to provide more clarity and power to the often-difficult challenge of writing about methods. The course also looks at common mistakes and how to avoid them when writing about methods. The focus throughout is on building confidence and increasing our repertoire of writing strategies and skills.

The course covers:

  • A range of practical writing strategies for handling methodology
  • The challenges of writing a PhD methodology chapter or a methods section in a research paper
  • Writing for qualitative and quantitative research approaches
  • Understanding different audiences and the needs of different academic markets

By the end of the course participants will:

  • Better understand who and what ‘methodology writing’ is for
  • Know the differences and similarities between PhD methods chapters, research paper methods sections and methods books
  • Understand and reflect on 21 principles (or starting points) of best practice in methodology writing
  • Focus writing on audience needs and expectations
  • Be aware of common mistakes and misunderstandings and so avoid them
  • Reflect on the relationship between methodology writing and other parts of your manuscript
  • To develop learning and best practice through exercises and examples

This course would be suitable for PhD students, post-docs and junior researchers in the social sciences. To book click here

Online Ethics Checklist is NOW OFFLINE

Research Ethics

REMINDER that the online ethics checklist is now offline and won’t be available until Monday 3rd September.  During this time students/staff will not be able to apply for ethical approval.  This is to allow for data migration.

The new online checklist will be available from Monday 3rd September 2018.

If you have any questions, please email researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Congratulations to FHSS Visiting Faculty

international, NHS, Publishing, writing

Congratulations to two members of Bournemouth University’s Visiting Faculty Minesh Khashu and Jillian Ireland on the publication of their paper ‘Fathers in neonatal units: Improving infant health by supporting the baby-father bond and mother-father co-parenting ‘ which has been accepted this week by the Journal of Neonatal Nursing. [1]  Prof. Minesh Khashu is the lead Consultant Neonatologist and Jillian Ireland is Professional Midwifery Advocate and both are based at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

This position paper has been co-authored by a wide-range of international experts from The Family Initiative (based in London), Edith Cowan University in Australia, McGill University in Canada, Northwestern University in the United States of America, the University of Toulouse in France, Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, Lillebaelt Hospital in Denmark, the Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea in Italy, the University of Melbourne in Australia and Bournemouth University.

This is second paper in this field by these BU Visiting Faculty members after the 2016 publication of a literature review. [2]

 

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health

 

 

References:

  1. Fisher, D., Khashu, M., Adama, E., Feeley, N., Garfield, C., Ireland, J., Koliouli, F., Lindberg, B., Noergaard, B., Provenzi, L., Thomson-Salo, F., van Teijlingen, E. (2018) Fathers in neonatal units: Improving infant health by supporting the baby-father bond and mother-father co-parenting Journal of Neonatal Nursing (accepted).
  2. Ireland, J., Khashu, M., Cescutti-Butler, L., van Teijlingen, E., Hewitt-Taylor, J. (2016) Experiences of fathers with babies admitted to neonatal care units: A review of the literature, Journal of Neonatal Nursing 22(4): 171–176.

Online Ethics Checklist is NOW OFFLINE

Research Ethics

REMINDER that the online ethics checklist is now offline and won’t be available until Monday 3rd September.  During this time students/staff will not be able to apply for ethical approval.  This is to allow for data migration.

The new online checklist will be available from Monday 3rd September 2018.

If you have any questions, please email researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.

The future of research at Bournemouth University

I hope you have enjoyed discovering more about the exciting and diverse research that has been undertaken at Bournemouth University (BU) over the last twenty five years. For me, the thread that runs through each of these research journeys is working with and making a difference to the world outside academia. From influencing midwifery practice, to helping the police and security forces make us safer, to working with governments around the world to improve their response to natural disasters, researchers at BU have long been exploring ways for their research to benefit others.

At the core of all our work at Bournemouth University is our aim to bring together research, education and professional practice in a model we call ‘Fusion’. This blend of elements helps us to ensure that our research makes a difference to professional practice and informs our teaching. Working with industry enables us to shape research that helps to tackle some of the pressing issues facing our society, while also ensuring that we produce graduates who have the skills they need to succeed in their chosen careers.

Looking to the future, as we launch our BU2025 strategic plan, we intend to build on our Fusion approach making Bournemouth University a place that inspires learning, advances knowledge and enriches society. As part of this, we are investing in two new gateway buildings in Bournemouth and Poole. These will equip us with state-of-the-art learning and research facilities, including high-quality media production studios which will enable us to build on our already outstanding international reputation for animation and media production, as well as providing a new home for health and social sciences.

We will also be responding to the ambitions set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy through developing our existing research strengths in health and medicine, animation, sustainability and low carbon technology as well as assistive technology. Research will play a significant part in helping the UK to rise to societal challenges, such as an ageing population, the need for the development of clean energy and use of technology in driving economic growth. By building on our existing areas of research expertise, producing outstanding graduates and working with industry, Bournemouth University will help to ensure that the UK is well equipped to succeed in the future.

I am proud of the work of Bournemouth University’s researchers, students and professional support staff over the last twenty-five years and I look forward to seeing the difference that we make to the world around us in the coming years.

This article was featured in the 2018 Bournemouth Research Chronicle. To see the magazine in full, click here or pick up a copy in Poole House or Studland House reception.

 Vice Chancellor, 

Professor John Vinney             

Save the date – 10 October 2018 – UKRO Annual Visit to BU

Funding opportunities

RKEO will host annual UK Research Office visit on 10th October 2018. The event will take place provisionally in FG06 seminar room. All staff interested in EU funding are invited to attend. This session will be delivered by Dr Andreas Kontogeorgos, European Advisor of the UK Research Office.

We are preparing agenda which is expected to include such topics as Brexit and the next EU framework programme Horizon Europe. More information on agenda will be provided in September. Academics are kindly requested to submit any other EU funding related topics for discussion to Ainar Blaudums at RKEO by the end of August.

UKRO is the European office of the UK Research Councils. It delivers a subscription-based advisory service for research organisations (in the main UK HEIs) and provides National Contact Point services on behalf of the UK Government. UKRO’s mission is to maximise UK engagement in EU-funded research, innovation and higher education activities. As part of UKRO services, BU members of staff may sign up to receive personalised email alerts.

N.B. BU staff considering applying for EU and other international funding should contact Research Facilitator for EU and International funding Ainar Blaudums for further information and support.

Online Ethics Checklist – goes offline tomorrow!

Research Ethics

REMINDER that the online ethics checklist will not be available from tomorrow, Friday 24th August 2018 until Monday 3rd September.  During this time students/staff will not be able to apply for ethical approval.  This is to allow for data migration.

The new online checklist will be available from Monday 3rd September 2018.

If you currently have an ethics checklist in the system and you are in the process of seeking ethical approval you will need to make sure it’s approved today or you may find you’ll have additional questions to answers when the new checklist comes online!

If you have any questions, please email researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.

 

Online Ethics Checklist – going offline this Friday 24th

Research Ethics

REMINDER that the online ethics checklist will not be available from Friday 24th August 2018 until Monday 3rd September.  During this time students/staff will not be able to apply for ethical approval.  This is to allow for data migration.

The new online checklist will be available from Monday 3rd September 2018.

If you currently have an ethics checklist in the system and you are in the process of seeking ethical approval you will need to make sure it’s approved today/23 August or you may find you’ll have additional questions to answers when the new checklist comes online!

If you have any questions, please email researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.

 

The effect of large scale interventions on improving public health

Good nutrition and eating well are an important part of public health and can help stave off a number of age-related illnesses. Over the last twenty years, Bournemouth University’s Professor Heather Hartwell has been carrying out research into nutrition in the context of developing large-scale interventions to improve public health. Her work has taken her from prisons to hospitals to workplace canteens.

When Professor Hartwell began her research career in nutrition, much of the health policy focus was on one-to-one support for people who were struggling with associated health conditions. The idea that large scale interventions might be successful was only beginning to be recognised.

“One of the first projects I was involved in at Bournemouth University was a commission from the National Audit Office, exploring nutrition in prisons,” says Professor Hartwell, “We found that while prisoners did have healthy eating options, the catering on offer tended to over-rely on processed foods – bread, sausages and pasties, for example. This meant they were eating more salt than the general population, which can lead to high blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. Among other things, we recommended that they used the prison gardens to grow fresh produce, as it was a low-cost way of adding more vegetables to the food on offer.”

“Around the same time, we were also looking at nutrition in hospital catering. In this setting, we found that there were much fewer healthy food options on offer and that meal production and delivery were overseen by a number of different teams – caterers, porters and ward staff. This meant that there was no real consistency and making it easier for miscommunication to take place.”

“It was quite eye-opening working in two very different public sector contexts,” continues Professor Hartwell, “As researchers, it’s important to go into every situation with humility because until you’re fully immersed in the context in which you’re working, you can’t fully appreciate the barriers that staff might be facing. In the NHS, for example, catering managers are often providing three meals per day, drinks and snacks on a very low budget, which limits what they’re able to do. You can’t achieve perfection in any situation, but co-created research can significantly improve what was there before.”

Working in public sector settings and seeing the difference that larger scale interventions could make on people’s health then led Professor Hartwell to consider the difference that healthier eating options could make in workplace canteen environments.

“These settings are really important because they’re where people eat on a regular basis, not just one-off celebratory meals. If people are continually being offered unhealthy food choices, then it can have long-term implications for their health. We’re given very little information about what’s in our food when we eat out, so my starting point was to improve that.”

Over the last few years, Professor Hartwell has been working on a major European grant, FoodSMART, which has been addressing exactly that issue. The grant enabled Professor Hartwell and her team to develop an App, which uses data provided by catering companies to help consumers to make more informed choices about their meals.

“We wanted to create an IT solution for the contract catering industry which would both better inform their consumers and also give the companies an edge when competing for new contracts,” explains Professor Hartwell, “It was slightly ahead of its time when we first created it, but is gaining much more interest now as workplaces are increasingly concerned about employee wellbeing.  Nutrition can help contribute to better health, which helps to reduce sickness rates and can improve productivity too.”

Alongside FoodSMART, Professor Hartwell and her team were also leading on another European grant, which was looking at increasing our protein intake through vegetables. In the context of an increasing global population, it is important for the agricultural and catering sectors to consider more sustainable sources of food.

“The project was about encouraging people to get their protein through vegetables, rather than meat, which uses far more resources than arable farming,” says Professor Hartwell, “It’s a healthier way of meeting our protein requirements as vegetables contain less fat and are much more sustainable in the long run.”

Partly inspired by the issues of sustainability raised in this project, Professor Hartwell and her team have recently started working on a new research grant with partners in Brazil to consider how to improve our long term food security.

More information about VeggiEAT can be found here: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/veggieat 

More information about FoodSMART can be found here: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/foodsmart

This article was featured in the 2018 Bournemouth Research Chronicle. To see the magazine in full, click here or pick up a copy in Poole House or Studland House reception.

Early Career Researcher Network Launch on 12th September – Book Now!

Training

On Wednesday 12th September, BU will be launching its new network specifically for our Early Career Researchers (ECRs).

This initiative underlines the support that is being made available to ECRs as part of the Vitae Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.

During the day, attendees will have the opportunity to shape the future of the network and contribute to the activities that will take place during the year. Specifically, in the morning, the network’s academic leads (Ann Hemingway and Sam Goodman) will facilitate participative and exploratory sessions to make sure that the ECR Network works for you, the BU ECRs.

After a networking lunch, ECRs in receipt of Acorn Fund awards will present an overview of their research. This will be followed by a ‘showcase’ opportunity for other ECRs to promote and discuss their research with attendees.

By the end of the day, it is excepted that you will:

  • have been able to meet with ECRs from all faculties at BU
  • had the opportunity to share your research interests with others
  • been able to voice your opinions on the development of the ERC Network at BU

The morning sessions are open to ECRs and the lunch and afternoon open to all BU academic staff but especially ECRs.

To book your place, please email RKEDevFramework@bournemouth.ac.uk, stating if you wish to attend the morning, the afternoon or both, along with any dietary requirements.

 

*Spaces still available* – Training opportunity: completing and submitting your IRAS application

NHS, Research Ethics, Training

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.

Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, R&KEO)  will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.

IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.

The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.

The training will take place in Studland House, room 103 on Thursday 23rd August, at 13:00pm – 16:00pm.

Get in touch with researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest and book a place.

Protecting native fish species

Since its establishment in 2007, the Centre for Ecology, Environment and Sustainability has undertaken research in areas such as biodiversity and environmental change, with the aim of supporting both policy development and conservation practice. One particular strand of work has concentrated on the effect of invasive species on ecosystems, native species and economies in the UK and beyond.

Professor Robert Britton, a fish ecologist, and Adrian Pinder, Associate Director of BU’s Global Environmental Solutions (BUG), first worked together on the issue of invasive species while investigating the effects of Topmouth Gudgeon on UK waterways. Topmouth Gudgeon are native to Asia and were introduced to the UK in the mid-1980s. By the early 2000s, populations were emerging in several locations across the country.

“I was working for the Environment Agency at the time and had been tasked with developing a better understanding of the ecology of Topmouth Gudgeon and how their populations could be managed,” says Professor Britton, “Populations were being reported in a number of fishing ponds in the UK, so we knew it was reasonably likely that they were being accidentally moved to new locations through fish stocking.  Topmouth Gudgeon are quite small, so spotting them in amongst other fish isn’t always easy.”

“I contacted Adrian, who was working at the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology, who had recently published a number of papers highlighting the invasive potential and ecological threats posed by topmouth gudgeon and other emerging non-native fishes such as sunbleak. By studying the fish in captivity, we were able to learn a lot about their behaviour, ecology and interactions with native species. This led to using a citizen science approach to generate an accurate picture of the distribution of topmouth gudgeon populations across the UK.”

“We worked with the angling press to educate anglers about the threats these fish posed and how to identify them,” explains Adrian, “The feedback we received helped us to map the location of 25 populations distributed between Hampshire and Cumbria, which allowed us to consider various control strategies. Since our research began, around 20 of the known populations have been eradicated by the Environment Agency, vastly reducing the risk that they posed to native fish species.”

The model of research they developed while working on Topmouth Gudgeon – identifying a problem, researching to better understand the issue and working with members of the public, as well as industry bodies – is one which they’ve continued to use and refine through their research careers.

“It’s really important for us to work with people on the ground,” says Professor Britton, “It’s by doing this that you can identify gaps in knowledge, which we can then help to fill. Just doing the research isn’t enough; to make a real difference, you need to combine it with education and knowledge exchange with the public and the sector you’re working with.”

“It’s also essential to work with researchers in other areas, because it’ll give you access to knowledge you might not have. We’re really lucky to have a huge amount of expertise in the Centre for Ecology, Environment and Sustainability. No matter how successful you are in your area; there’s always going to be something you don’t know. The key to that is collaboration and working with the wider scientific community to accelerate knowledge gain.”

The model of research they developed through working together on Topmouth Gudgeon is one which the team have successfully refined and then used with other species and in other parts of the world. As part of a current research project, they are working on the conservation of threatened Mahseer fishes in India.

“In response to declining numbers of Mahseer in India’s rivers, various conservation initiatives began raising Mahseer in hatcheries” explains Adrian, “Unfortunately, at the time, knowledge of the taxonomy of Mahseer fish wasn’t far enough advanced for them to know that they were stocking the wrong species of Mahseer into the wrong rivers. Essentially this meant that an invasive species was being introduced, at the expense of native fish.”

Professor Britton and Adrian recently published a paper in Endangered Species Research that demonstrates the stocking of hatchery reared ‘bluefin’ mahseer into South India’s River Cauvery has driven the endemic hump-backed mahseer to the edge of extinction.

“The importance of the Humpback Mahseer to the local economy can’t be understated,” continues Adrian, “These iconic fish can grow up to 50kg in size, which used to attract anglers from all across the world to visit the region. This then pumped money into very poor rural economies which assisted conservation as locals realised the renewable value of each individual live fish which could be caught and released by multiple anglers. This meant that locals protected the fish from poachers and the population thrived.”

“Since the collapse of the humpbacked population, the recreational fisheries have closed and locals have resorted to killing the remaining Mahseer using non-sustainable fishing methods and using them as food sources or to sell at market, thus exacerbating the extinction threat of the remaining hump-backs.”

Professor Britton and Adrian are currently working with UK charity, the Mahseer Trust and a major industrial partner in India to develop a robust conservation strategy for the hump-backed Mahseer. This involves extensive field exploration, stakeholder engagement and an outreach programme to raise awareness across schools.

“We are also working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) to resolve the taxonomic confusion surrounding the 17 species of Mahseer which are distributed throughout the Himalayan drainage and Southeast Asia,” explains Adrian, “This also involves assessing the extinction threat each species, which feeds into updating the IUCN Red List of threatened species. This should afford these iconic fish better protection in the future.”

For more information, visit: www.mahseertrust.org

www.int-res.com/articles/esr2015/28/n028p011.pdf

This article was featured in the 2018 Bournemouth Research Chronicle. To see the magazine in full, click here or pick up a copy in Poole House or Studland House reception.

Dr Paul Whittington attends Life Beyond the PhD 2018 Conference

conferences, PG research

Dr Paul Whittington pictured front far left

Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cumberland Lodge – an educational charity which tackles social divisions by promoting creative thinking and inclusive dialogue – held its 11th annual ‘Life Beyond the PhD’ conference.

Held over 5 days, the conference brought together PhD students and early career researchers for thought-provoking workshops, presentations and activities which explored the value of doctoral research both inside and outside of academia. Underpinning each of the activities was the Cumberland Lodge’s ethos of inclusivity, and insightful, interdisciplinary discussion.

Dr Paul Whittington, who completed his PhD in 2017 in the Faculty of Science & Technology, attended and benefitted greatly from presentations which included a variety of topics: Research Culture in the UK, Self-Leadership for Researchers, Techniques for Impact through speaking and writing, Public Engagement and Writing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals. These were presented by a variety of academics from institutions, including The University of Cambridge, Guardian Higher Education Network, Government Equalities Office and the University of London.

Paul also had the opportunity to collaborate with PhD students from around the country and to discuss and present his research to other delegates. On one day, he participated in an interdisciplinary team project which involved producing and presenting a research proposal tackling some form of social exclusion to a panel followed by a Q&A session. Paul presented a slide and subsequently his team won the challenge and received the “funding” – a box of chocolates that was then shared amongst the other teams.

Paul said: “Thank you very much to the Doctoral College for providing me with the opportunity to attend the Life Beyond the PhD Conference at Cumberland Lodge. It was very valuable to me and greatly appreciated.”

Rohingya refugees remain a heavy burden on Bangladesh

The Rohingya people of Myanmar are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. The Myanmar government doesn’t consider them as citizens and deprives them of basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

To avoid persecution, waves of Rohingya people have taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh in recent decades, with particular flash points in 1978, 1992 and 2012.

The latest and largest mass exodus to Bangladesh took place in late August 2017. Within a month, around half a million Rohingya had fled to Bangladesh. This influx gradually slowed down, but did not stop there. A year later, the total number of Rohingya in Bangladesh is estimated to be 918,000, with around 700,000 new arrivals since August 2017.

The Rohingya refugees are confined within several camps in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, which are managed jointly by the government and a coordinating body of international organisations called the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG). The largest of these, which I visited in August 2018, is known as the Kutupalong camp and hosts more than a half a million people. The camp seems neverending, with shelters, shops and narrow paths leading to every corner.

The Kutupalong site covers about 6,000 acres and is densely populated with eight square metres per person. The sites are highly vulnerable to rain, floods, cyclones, fire and landslides. Access to basic services is still insufficient, and there are poor quality shelters, latrines and delivery clinics. According to the ISCG’s 2018 joint response plan, 12,200 metric tonnes of food per month and 16m litres of safe water per day are needed to sustain the refugee population.

Disappearing forests

From what I saw, the environmental impact of the crisis is clearly devastating. A local forest officer told me that, in the past, the site upon which the Kutupalong camp now stands was a protected forest. Now, not a single large tree can be seen.

Many local Bangladeshis around the camps previously depended on nearby forests – to collect honey, and use dead branches and leaves as firewood. These forests are now disappearing.

Near the camp, I saw many large holes, evidence of the complete uprooting of trees to meet the demands for firewood. Bangladesh’s forest department is relentlessly trying to protect the nearby forests, but doesn’t have enough manpower to maintain the vigil 24 hours a day.

There is no clear boundary to the camp, and nearby I saw some Bangladeshi settlements. The demarcation is obvious: if a group of houses is surrounded by large trees then it is a Bangladeshi settlement, if not, it’s a Rohingya settlement.

The area used to be a habitat for many forest animals including about 40 elephants. The animals are now all gone and the elephants are trapped in another small patch of forest nearby, a local forest officer told me. In the early part of 2018, some elephants attacked Rohingya settlements.

Impact on local economy

The local economy of the camps seem to be thriving and the Kutupalong site is full of small shops selling many kinds of goods. The shop sellers are largely Rohingya, though there is reportedly some Bangladeshi involvement, too.

The presence of the refugees has imposed a heavy financial burden on the Bangladeshi government. One government officer told me that about 2,000 government officials are involved in the management of the camps at various levels – at an annual cost of US$15.24m to the Bangladeshi government. This is a huge sum, considering the per capita annual GDP of Bangladesh is only about US$1,700.

It was the local community in the area that provided much needed early support to Rohingya refugees in August 2017, before aid arrived. Since then, research has begun to highlight the impact of the Rohingya refugees on the local communities, including on the price of local goods and on the local job market

In June 2018, the Bangladesh government signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of facilitating the voluntary repatriation of 700,000 Rohingya back to Myanmar, but the prospect of actual returns is in question because of the previous experience of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Meanwhile, they continue to see Bangladesh as a place of refuge, as they have for decades. To ensure voluntary repatriations happen, full assurance is required that they will not be persecuted upon their return.

The ConversationMeanwhile, a longer term, sustainable solution is required for the area, one which secures the safety and livelihoods of both those Rohingya people in fear for their lives, and the hosts who have given them sanctuary.

Mehdi Chowdhury, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Bournemouth University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

join TTRAEurope2019, Tourism in the era of connectivity, Bournemouth University Department of Tourism and Hospitality www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ttra 8-10 April 2019

join us for the TTRAEurope2019, Tourism in the era of connectivity, Bournemouth University Department of Tourism and Hospitality www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ttra 8-10 April 2019

 

 

Conference website http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ttra
Submission link https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ttraeurope2019

The Travel and Tourism Research Association’s 2019 European Chapter Conference will be hosted by Bournemouth University Department of Tourism and Hospitality in Bournemouth from Monday 8th to Wednesday 10th April 2019. This is a three-day conference that will include a doctoral colloquium day and industry best practice thread. The theme of the conference is Tourism in the Era of Connectivity, which covers a broad range of themes to ensure that we are inclusive of the widest range of tourism research.

 

People-to-people connectivity is an essential aspect of tourism; bringing people from all aspects of life together to meet, share moments and explore cultures, resources and experiences. Connectivity brings us together through shared routes, accessibility, communication, and experiences in different environments and destinations. Increasingly, global society is becoming more connected, facilitating opportunities for exchange and interaction, bringing both opportunities and challenges. Tourism is changing dramatically in the era of connectivity.

Advanced technology enables users to amalgamate information and big data from various sources on their mobile devices, personalise their profile through applications and social networks, and interact dynamically with their surroundings and context. Tourism professionals increasingly use technologies and networking to bring different stakeholders together to co-create value for all. The conference will connect the different concepts of connectivity, personalisation, tourism development and marketing towards co-creation of the tourism experience. It will explore how these experiences can support the co-creation of value for all stakeholders and address a range of components of connectivity.

Examples of the conference themes include but not limited to:

Coastal Tourism; Tourism Marketing; Economics and Planning; Culture and Heritage; Hospitality Innovations; Digital Tourism; Sustainability and Wildlife; Gender, Accessibility and Inclusion; Tourism Management; Overtourism; Tourism and Philosophy; Special Interest and Niche Tourism; Spiritual, Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism; Events and Leisure; Experience and Co-creation; Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome:

  • Research papers and case studies (5,000 word paper or 1,000 word extended abstract)
  • Doctoral research papers (5,000 word paper or 1,000 word extended abstract)
  • Applied (industry and sector) papers (1,000 word extended abstract)
  • Student papers, including Masters theses (1000 word extended abstract)

Instructions to Authors

Please adhere to the following for your submission:

  • Word limit of 1,000 words for extended abstracts; word limit of 5,000 words for full papers.
  • Word limit includes references, tables, figures, etc.
  • Please use Arial font size 12 throughout.
  • Must be presented in MS Word Format, on size A4 (210 by 297 mm) paper, with margins of: left 3 cm, right, top and bottom 2.5 cm.
  • Any illustrations should be of high resolution, preferably in JPEG or TIFF format.
  • The page composition should be as follows:
    • TITLE: In uppercase, bold, and centered.
    • AUTHOR/ AUTHORS: in lowercase and the surname(s) in uppercase.
    • AFFILIATION AND CONTACT DETAILS: in uppercase.
    • CATEGORY: please indicate the paper category of the submissions (Research paper and case study; Doctoral research paper; Applied (industry/sector) paper; Student paper (for all students other than doctoral researchers)).
    • TEXT: Arial 12, full justification and single spacing. Paragraphs will begin without tabulation and with single spacing with regard to the title or the prior paragraph.
    • FIGURES AND TABLES: will be incorporated into the text in the corresponding place. They will be numbered separately (figures and tables) by order of appearance (Arabic numerals). The title, in bold and centered, will be located at the top and will be separated from the figure or table by space.
    • FOOTNOTES: Please keep to a minimum. Where used they should be consecutive, with full justification and Arial 8 font.
    • REFERENCE STYLE: please use the referencing style of the American Psychological Association (APA) Sixth Edition.

Important Dates

Deadline for submission: 5th January 2019

Notification for acceptance: 5th February 2019

Final submission: 1st March 2019

Early Bird Deadline: 1st March 2019

Conference: 8th-10th April 2019 **TTRA CONFERENCE IN BOURNEMOUTH**

Conference themes and call for papers

Submit papers for the conference

Contributions by academics, practitioners and phd students are welcome in the following categories:

Categories Requirements
Research papers and Case studies Papers 5000 words or 1000 word extended abstract
Doctoral Research papers Papers 5000 words or 1000 word extended abstract
Applied (industry and sector) papers 1000 words extended abstract
Student papers (including master theses) 1000 words extended abstract

Confirmed Invited speakers so far

Travel and Tourism Research Association 2019

Associate Professor Luisa Andreu Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics, University of Valencia, Spain

Professor Carlos Costa University of Aveiro, Portugal and Editor of the Journal of Tourism & Development

Professor Alan Fyall, University of Central Florida, USA and coEditor of Elsevier’s Journal of Destination Marketing & Management

Professor Scott McCabe Nottingham University and co-Editor of Annals of Tourism Research

Assistant Professor Luiz Mendes-Filho, Tourism Department, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Professor Tanja Mihalic University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Associate Professor Ana María Munar Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

Professor Nigel Morgan, Swansea University, UK

Professor Mike Peter (University of Innsbruck, Austria) The Relevance of Family businesses in Tourism and Hospitality

Professor Cleopatra Veloutsou University of Glasgow UK and co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Product and Brand Management.

From spin doctors to social media: The evolution of political communication

New media, particularly social media, have become instrumental in political elections and campaigns today. Politics has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades, partly due to the continuously emerging forms of communication. The field of political communications combines different elements of political science, communication, cultural studies, media, and psychology, and has been established at Bournemouth University since 2002.

The Centre for Politics and Media Research at BU focuses upon the soft power exerted through political campaign communication and its impact upon society and the citizen, the social and cultural frameworks which shape ideology and the collective psychology of publics, and the psychology of political violence. BU academics Professor Barry Richards, Professor Candida Yates and the Director of the Centre, Dr Darren Lilleker, have different research backgrounds within media, advertising, cultural and communication studies and psychology.

“I’ve always been interested in the relationships between politics, emotion, culture and society” explains Professor Yates, “my Doctoral research focused in particular on the cultural politics of emotion, film and masculinity in crisis. From there, I began to look more widely at the ways in which different emotions are shaped, experienced and communicated in politics, culture and society.”

Throughout the 1990s, political communication in Britain and elsewhere underwent a huge change which is often associated with Tony Blair’s New Labour government with its use of spin doctors and mediatised news management. There was also a significant increase in news media competition and advances in technology that seemed to provide citizens with a sense of choice and control over media consumption, although this sense of empowerment with regards to social media is now often questioned and problematized.

“I turned my attention away from the study of masculinity in film and instead turned to the analysis of political communication and the culture of politics more widely; I analysed the fantasies and feelings that emerged in relation to some key political figures at the time and how those psycho-political formations relate to the ways in which we engage with and emotionally invest in politics,” says Professor Yates.

“People thought of spin as this manipulative, domineering process that was all about bringing the techniques of marketing into politics in a bad way,” says Professor Richards. “However, I thought that there was something potentially more positive in this shift in political communication, and so the arrival of spin and political marketing increased my interest in electoral politics.”

Throughout this time, mainland Britain was also facing political violence and terrorism.

“In the 1970s and 1980s, it was almost exclusively Irish Republican terrorism, and then in the late 1990s and early 2000s we had the arrival of Islamist terrorism across the world,” explains Professor Richards. “I had always been interested in terrorism: the impact it has on the British public and the psychology of how people could come to carry out attacks.”

These years showed a huge shift in global politics. With this, political communication started to become more and more promotional, and celebrity culture began to infiltrate politics.

“There was a dominant set of ideas by the government at the time and then there were other marginal ideas that didn’t get voiced,” explains Dr Lilleker. “When I started doing my research, what interested me was how politicians developed ideologies, how they were sold and then understood by citizens.”

With the introduction of social media in the early 2000s, the hegemony of the mass media was challenged and political communication changed dramatically. The prevalence of social media in politics has made parties and officials more accessible and accountable to citizens. “Now, citizens can react immediately to an event and they can even influence what’s being said by using social media to come together to form a mass,” explains Dr Lilleker.

With evolutionary changes such as new media and globalisation shaping politics, political communication is clearly evolving rapidly and becoming increasingly important. Future research within the Centre for Politics and Media Research will include looking further into the psycho-dynamics of contemporary political culture, the marketization of political discourse and campaigning, and comparative politics.

“I am now looking at the role of empathy in relation to the current political, social and cultural landscape of Brexit and its aftermath, which is very polarised” says Professor Yates. “I’m interested in how empathy can emerge in groups and whether there is a way that we can actually help to facilitate it as a way to encourage constructive rather than destructive debate.”

“I’m embarking on some research into national identity and its relationship to the needs for safety and for dignity, which I think are major drivers of our experience and action as citizens. The starting point is how much do people think of themselves as having a national identity these days. This is a very rich psychological area as well as an important political issue,” says Professor Richards.

Meanwhile, Dr Lilleker is concerned with the dangers of social media and the misleading and fake news that is shared and consumed by millions. In the light of recent revelations about the use of data from social media sites, such as Facebook, this has perhaps never been so important.

“Media literacy has never really been taught but I think now it’s crucial to understand what’s happening on social media, especially for young people who should be educated on this issue.”

“At BU, there are a few of us now who look into the structures of feeling and emotions that underpin politics as it represented, communicated and experienced ,” says Professor Yates. “We want to develop that field to become a centre of excellence.”

To keep up with the latest news from the Centre for Politics and Media Research, visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/pmg

This article was featured in the 2018 Bournemouth Research Chronicle. To see the magazine in full, click here or pick up a copy in Poole House or Studland House reception.

Online Ethics Checklist

Research Ethics

REMINDER that the online ethics checklist will not be available from Friday 24th August 2018 until Monday 3rd September.  During this time students/staff will not be able to apply for ethical approval.  This is to allow for data migration.

The new online checklist will be available from Monday 3rd September 2018.

If you have any questions, please email researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk.