Get Published
A recommendation note from the MRI Governing Body and MRI Coordination Office on “predatory journals”
Predatory journals and predatory publishers have been defined as “entities that prioritise self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterised by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices” (Grudniewicz et al., 2019).
Publishing in predatory journals is highly problematic for a number of reasons*. For instance, it can damage one’s own reputation and/or the reputation of one’s institution; articles that are published in predatory journals do not offer any added value to researchers and science and further perpetuate practices that negatively impact science and scientific quality; or visibility can be limited given that some of these journals are not indexed by reputable citation indexes and literature databases, with no guarantee of long-term access to published articles. Furthermore, such articles often enter the public domain without rigorous quality control or thorough peer review, for instance by prioritising speedy reviews - irrespective of the suitability of the reviewers’ disciplinary expertise - instead of soliciting the relevant and key expertise for such reviews. Therefore, all publications in such journals endanger the credibility of publicly-funded research, diminish the value of research that would otherwise receive greater recognition if published in reputable journals, and contribute to a general distrust of scientific publications.
The MRI encourages open science practices and the accessible dissemination of results of high-quality scientific research. The choices made as to where and how this research is published are also key aspects that need attention and careful consideration by the mountain research community. Therefore, and in view of the issues raised by predatory publishing practices, the MRI strongly recommends that researchers exercise their own responsibility and judgment and carefully consider where they choose to publish their work, and where they agree to guest edit special issues, by consulting trusted sources of information and learning more about predatory publishing practices.
Useful resources we recommend (non-exhaustive):
- Grudniewicz et al (2019). Predatory journals: no definition, no defense. Nature, 576, 210-212.
- Think.Check.Submit. A site that helps researchers identify trusted journals and publishers for their research.
- The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) report (2022): Combatting Predatory Academic Journals and Conferences
- Blog: “Combating predatory journals and conferences through systemic change in scientific publishing” (International Science Council)
- UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science
* Adapted from Swiss National Science Foundation: FAQ What is the SNSF’s position with regard to predatory journals?
Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the issue of predatory publishing practices? We’d love to hear from you! Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at the MRI Coordination Office.
MRI / 20.10.2022
'Global Environmental Change' is a peer-reviewed international journal that publishes high-quality, theoretically and empirically rigorous articles which advance knowledge about the human and policy dimensions of global environmental change. The journal is interested in articles which have a significant social science component. These include articles that address the social drivers or consequences of environmental change, or social and policy processes that seek to address problems of environmental change. Topics include, but are not restricted to: the drivers, consequences, and management of changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services, climate, coasts, food systems, land use and land cover, oceans, urban areas, and water resources.
Submission deadline: 30 June 2023
The Editor-in-Chief of the World Leisure Journal (WLJ) welcomes proposals from appropriately qualified colleagues wishing to express an interest in editing a special issue of the journal. We also invite colleagues in the MRI network to consider a special issue on leisure in the mountains. The journal welcomes proposals that address any topic which advances the knowledge in the field, but would particularly encourage proposals that address:
- Research Methodologies
- Leisure and Ethics
- Leisure and Justice
- Leisure and Sport/Physical Activity/Health
- Leisure and Artificial Intelligence
- The Future of Leisure
Proposals should be sent by email to the WLJ Editor-in-Chief Professor Sandro Carnicelli This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Application deadline: 20 April 2023
The journal Fabrica Litterarum Polono-Italica invites contributions for a special issue on “Mountain Studies.” Papers can be submitted in Polish, Italian, or English. Article proposals should be registered on the Open Journal System platform of the University of Silesia in Katowice. In case of any questions or concerns about the text submission process, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the journal editors: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Abstract submission deadline: 15 May 2023
Full manuscript submission deadline: 15 September 2024
The purpose of the Dor Bahadur Bista Prize of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies (ANHS) is to recognize outstanding scholarship by graduate students whose research focuses on the areas of High Asia. The winner will receive a cash award of $300 and will be recognized at the annual South Asian Studies Conference, along with an invitation to submit the paper to HIMALAYA.
Submit your full paper by 30 July 2023.
This Special Issue aims to contribute to a better understanding of equity and justice concerns in ecosystem services research and to stimulate critical reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the ecosystem services framework in making equity and justice issues explicit.
Submission Deadline: 30 September 2023
The International Glaciological Society (IGS) will prepare a special issue of the Annals of Glaciology with the theme ‘Snow’ in 2023. Given these prospects and improvements in advanced technologies for monitoring and modelling, we announce a symposium focused on understanding snow and its impacts on the environment, people and infrastructure. Snow will be examined at all scales – from the microscale of snow structure to the global scale.
Updated manuscript submission deadline is 30 June 2023.
With this focus issue, the Mountain Research and Development (MRD) aims to contribute to a better understanding of migration trends, drivers, and impacts in mountain areas. MRD is looking for papers that examine how governance and development initiatives can strengthen the benefits of migration and reduce its drawbacks in terms of sustainable development.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 15 February 2023
Submit your full paper by 1 April 2023
In this Special Issue in Land the editors welcome contributions from different areas of study and distinct focal emphasis to highlight the need for better mountain conservation, where legal, social, cultural, and financial frameworks help mountain environments secure their role of provision, regulation, support, and cultural ecosystem services and other benefits.
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 April 2023.
This Special Issue of the journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences aims to compile recent research that estimates and predicts natural hazards and risks in the Himalayan region.
Extreme hydrometeorological and geomorphological events account for 45 % of the fatalities and 79 % of the economic losses caused by natural hazards. Exacerbated by high seismic activity, rugged terrain such as the Himalayan landscape is particularly susceptible to generating these events, which often transform into cascading hazards where an initial event causes a downstream chain reaction (Shugar et al., 2021). These hazards interfere with increasing population pressure and expansion of settlements along rivers and new infrastructure developments such as roads and hydropower projects. Rising temperatures and changes in weather patterns in the wake of global warming likely elevate risks from hazards such as landslides, glacial lake outburst floods, riverine, and flash floods (Kraaijenbrink et al., 2017). The complexity of these hazards and their underlying processes demand scientific efforts and approaches from multiple disciplines.
This article collection in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability seeks contributions that synthesize what we know, and what we don’t yet know, about social transformations in the context of diverse sustainability challenges.
This article collection in the journal Sustainable Earth aims to examine and improve the learning of sustainability.
Learning is a relatively new concern in sustainability. Much attention has been given to sustainability education, especially in tertiary education, but rather less on how people learn about sustainability and learn to become sustainable, especially from experience.
The Swiss Journal of Geosciences is an international fully Open Access peer-reviewed journal and publishes original research and review articles, with a particular focus on the evolution of the Tethys realm and the Alpine/Himalayan orogen.
The Swiss Journal of Geosciences has editorial waivers available for outstanding contributions and review articles from researchers who lack funding for fully OA publication.
This Scientific Reports Collection in the journal Nature provides a platform for interdisciplinary studies of mountain surface processes and their responses to climate change and human activities.
Submissions are welcome on a rolling basis.
