Consequences of POP: the journal industry and authorship pattern

POP has adverse consequences in terms of the journal industry and authorship pattern. These adverse consequences include the proliferation of predatory journals, exploitation by unscrupulous conference organisers, the rise of elitism and class structure in academia, and the demise of the single author. When pressure is put on academics to publish or else, they get enslaved by journals, predatory and otherwise, becoming the victims of exploitation. Journal publishers prey on helpless academics when they indulge in a variety of fee-related malpractices: charging extremely high fees, charging fees for each resubmission and giving as many revise-and-resubmit opportunities as possible, charging handling fees and publication fees, charging per page publication fees, and charging higher fees for “express service”.