tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post5592541558489937042..comments2024-03-17T08:30:21.129+00:00Comments on Open and Shut?: The OA Interviews: InTech’s Nicola RylettRichard Poynderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433823131339077354noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-21363779872157628862014-12-11T13:34:41.101+00:002014-12-11T13:34:41.101+00:00As someone who was an employee of Intech for 3 yea...As someone who was an employee of Intech for 3 years (including the time this interview was published), I can tell you the following about the "peer-review" that is conducted in InTech:<br /><br />-the editor for a certain project is often not appointed until the submission of full chapters, and in those cases publishing process managers with no scientific background (mostly hold bachelor degrees in English) are required to accept the abstracts. Often the editor, upon finally accepting to review the book, rejects many full chapters as they do not have much scientific value in their opinion, and the publishing process manager's job is to persuade the editor to accept them anyway, or find an editor of another book to accept it there. This is all, of course, only in the interest of profit and nothing else.<br /><br />-I personally had several situations where the book editor, upon realising what type of company InTech is, simply quits. This sometimes happens when the book is just about to be published, and then the "editor" whose name is put in the book is actually the publishing process manager!!! In this way I have edited more than one book, lucky me!<br /><br />Please be aware that I am not a disgruntled employee and am working in a completely different field now. Also, practises in the company may have changed. But knowing the motives of InTech and the completely incompetent management, I highly doubt it.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-640160347782270392012-06-08T19:39:19.228+00:002012-06-08T19:39:19.228+00:00They are churning out books at break-neck speed - ...They are churning out books at break-neck speed - last week it was 1,763 now it's 1,769. They're primary motivation is money, and with their business model, they make more money producing large quantities of poorly reviewed/edited books, than with smaller volumes of well-edited, high quality books that institution are willing to pay to access.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-41759181820171645432011-11-11T10:32:51.565+00:002011-11-11T10:32:51.565+00:00The real value of OA byt companies like Intech ca...The real value of OA byt companies like Intech can be seen here in the following scenario <br />Lets take a scenario like this-<br />There is a scientist or a team of scientists in an internationally reputed research organization with say about a modest 100,000 $ fund for a three year research project. The PI is reputed in his/her field and has got the funding deservedly. There is about say a 5000$ for publication. They have done a through review of the scientific hypothesis they are testing. In tech contacts one of the post docs or junior researcher in the team and offers to publish a book chapter (which actually is a state of the art review or compilation) for say 600$, the post doc or junior researcher benefits carrier wise by the ( fast) publication. <br /> The PI accepts and assigns the job of writing to them- they get it published with what ever review process In tech has (the chapter is a review)<br />Now there is a student in a small town in India or any other third world country studying in a college with poor library holdings and he/she has only just about something more than the lecture notes the teacher gives to learn on. But he/she has an internet connection and has the ability to search for relevant material and lands up on Intech chapter of the Post doc or junior researcher. High quality peer review or not the student is highly benefited simply in terms of knowledge gain.<br />So in effect these intech books are good.<br />I don't know about the business model but definitely there is benefit for readers and writers.Arun K. Shankerhttp://www.agriculture.frih.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-84251495691487370692011-11-11T09:43:29.403+00:002011-11-11T09:43:29.403+00:00Good article
I have edited two books for Intech
...Good article <br />I have edited two books for Intech <br />1. http://www.intechopen.com/books/show/title/abiotic-stress-response-in-plants-physiological-biochemical-and-genetic-perspectives<br />2. http://www.intechopen.com/books/show/title/abiotic-stress-in-plants-mechanisms-and-adaptations<br />The authors of the chapters are experienced researchers in their areas and their publications are good. <br />What I want to say is that Intech is not a scam company on the other hand most of its books are very useful to many in the scientific communityArun K.Shankerhttp://www.agriculture.frih.net/noreply@blogger.com