World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology

WASET has been accused of arranging predatory conferences, in order to artificially boost the academic credentials of presenters and paper submitters.{{Cite news|url=http://www.zeit.de/2017/44/wissenschaftskonferenzen-pseudokonferenzen-waset|title=Wissenschaftskonferenzen: Tagen im Zwielicht|last=Spiewak|first=Martin|date=2017-10-25|website=Die Zeit|language=de|access-date=2017-11-06}}{{Cite news|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/when-pigs-fly-fake-science-conferences-abound-for-fraud-and-profit|title=When pigs fly: Fake science conferences abound for fraud and profit|last=Spears|first=Tom|date=2017-03-10|work=Ottawa Citizen|access-date=2017-11-08|language=en-US}} It claims to organize several thousands of scientific conferences a year, using names that are the same or similar to real conferences organized by established scientific groups.{{cite web|url=http://fakeconferences.blogspot.com/2014/02/waset-word-crime-is-poor-to-describe.html|title=WASET Bogus and Fake Conferences|date=2014-02-02|website=fakeconferences.blogspot.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430160320/http://fakeconferences.blogspot.com/2014/02/waset-word-crime-is-poor-to-describe.html|archive-date=2015-04-30|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-07-04}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/academische-nepcongressen-blijken-lucratieve-groeimarkt~b6d8bd5c/|title=Academische nepcongressen blijken lucratieve groeimarkt|last=De Boer|first=Richard|date=2015-07-04|work=de Volkskrant|access-date=2018-07-30|language=nl-NL|trans-title=Academic fake conventions turn out to be lucrative growth markets}} WASET also appears to operate the website "Conference Index", which claims to be a database of international conferences but only lists events from WASET.{{cite web |title=Conferences All Over The World |url=https://conferenceindex.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215211549/https://conferenceindex.org/ |archive-date=15 February 2023 |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=Conference Index |publisher=WASET}}

Legitimate conferences have publicly warned of identically named, fake WASET conferences.{{cite web|url=http://www.icann2017.org/index.php/2016/11/11/beware-of-fake-conferences/|title=Beware of fake conferences|date=2016-11-11|website=26th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704210644/http://www.icann2017.org/index.php/2016/11/11/beware-of-fake-conferences/|archive-date=2017-07-04|url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-04}}{{cite web|url=http://icp12.uu.nl/icp12-2016-in-utrecht/|title=ICP12 2016 in Utrecht!|year=2015|website=12th International Conference on Paleoceanography (ICP12)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914094225/http://icp12.uu.nl/icp12-2016-in-utrecht/|archive-date=2016-09-14|url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-04}} In 2015, the University of Toronto released a "scam advisory" about a purported conference on their premises advertised by WASET.{{Cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2016/05/11/issues/predatory-conferences-stalk-japans-groves-academia/|title='Predatory conferences' stalk Japan's groves of academia|last=McCrostie|first=James|date=2016-05-11|work=The Japan Times|access-date=2017-11-06|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://main.its.utoronto.ca/news/fake-conference-advertisement/|title=Fake Conference Advertisement|publisher=University of Toronto, Information Technology Services|access-date=2017-11-06}} In 2018 WASET advertised 49,844 conferences, many of which share similar names.{{Cite web|url=https://wasetwatch.wordpress.com/list-of-waset-conferences-for-2018/|title=List of WASET Conferences for 2018|website=WASET Watch|date=12 October 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-30}} Hundreds of conferences may be scheduled for the same location on the same day.{{Cite web|url=https://copy-shake-paste.blogspot.com/2015/04/brazilian-government-recommends-mock.html|title=Brazilian Government recommends mock conference|last=Weber-Wulff|first=Debora|date=2015-04-04|website=Copy, Shake, and Paste: A blog about plagiarism and scientific misconduct|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705151246/https://copy-shake-paste.blogspot.com/2015/04/brazilian-government-recommends-mock.html|archive-date=2017-07-05|url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-04}}{{Cite web|url=https://plagiatsgutachten.de/fake-science-auch-oesterreichs-wissenschaft-vom-waset-staedtetourismus-betroffen/|title="Fake Science": Auch Österreichs Wissenschaft vom "WASET-Städtetourismus" betroffen|last=Weber|first=Stefan|author-link=Stefan Weber (media researcher)|date=2018-07-19|website=Blog für wissenschaftliche Redlichkeit|language=de|trans-title="Fake Science": Austria's science community also affected by "WASET city tourism"|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212010846/https://plagiatsgutachten.de/fake-science-auch-oesterreichs-wissenschaft-vom-waset-staedtetourismus-betroffen/|archive-date=2019-02-12|access-date=2019-02-12}} For example, 116 simultaneous scientific meetings were scheduled in a hotel in Rio de Janeiro in February 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/predatory-conferences-now-outnumber-official-scholarly-events|title=Predatory conferences 'now outnumber official scholarly events'|last=Grove|first=Jack|date=2017-10-26|work=Times Higher Education (THE)|access-date=2017-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108234144/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/predatory-conferences-now-outnumber-official-scholarly-events|archive-date=2017-11-08}}

The conferences are low-quality, described in one case as a "Potemkin village"{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/science/predatory-journals-academics.html|title=Many Academics Are Eager to Publish in Worthless Journals|last=Kolata|first=Gina|date=2017-10-30|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-11-06|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|author-link=Gina Kolata}} and anyone can present a paper by simply paying the registration fee.{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/technology/science/science-and-the-death-of-peer-review|title=Science fiction? Why the long-cherished peer-review system is under attack|last=Spears|first=Tom|work=ottawacitizen |date=2014-10-08|publisher=Ottawa Citizen|access-date=2015-02-03}} Conferences are planned many years in advance. The website includes a section on "Featured Locations" featuring photos of popular tourist destinations.{{Cite news|url=http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/enquetes/201709/20/01-5134920-fraudes-fausses-revues-scientifiques-faux-congres.php|title=Fraudes: fausses revues scientifiques, faux congrès|last=Malboeuf|first=Marie-Claude|date=2017-09-20|work=La Presse (Canadian newspaper)|access-date=2018-07-31|language=fr-CA|trans-title=Fraud: fake scientific journals, fake congresses}} Names of researchers have been included as conference committee members, without their knowledge or consent.{{Cite news|last=Tuffani|first=Mauricio|date=2015-03-03|title=Eventos científicos "caça-níqueis" preocupam cientistas brasileiros|language=pt|trans-title=‘Slot Machines’ Scientific Events Worry Brazilian Scientists|work=Folha de S.Paulo|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ciencia/2015/03/1597163-eventos-cientificos-caca-niqueis-preocupam-cientistas-brasileiros.shtml|access-date=2018-07-30}}{{cite web|url=http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/qt/conf/index.html|title=Junk conference warning|last=White|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew G. White|date=2016-04-11|publisher=University of Queensland, School of Mathematics and Physics, QT Lab|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330122859/http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/qt/conf/index.html|archive-date=2017-03-30|url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-04}}

WASET is based in Turkey and is registered in Azerbaijan.{{cite web |url=http://www.panorama.am/en/popular/2014/06/24/waset-azerbaijan/ |title=Azerbaijani "academy" fools a lot of scientists from around the world |publisher=Panorama |date=2014-06-24 |access-date=2015-02-03}} Its domain name was registered 2007 with a contact address in Dubai.{{cite web |url=https://www.whois.com/whois/waset.org |title=waset.org |website=Whois: Identity for everyone |access-date=2017-07-06}} It is run by Cemal Ardil, a former science teacher, with assistance from his daughter Ebru and his son Bora.{{cite web|last=Oberhaus|first=Daniel|date=2018-08-14|title=Hundreds of Researchers From Harvard, Yale and Stanford Were Published in Fake Academic Journals|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/hundreds-of-researchers-from-harvard-yale-and-stanford-were-published-in-fake-academic-journals/|access-date=2018-08-14|website=Motherboard|quote=netted the Ardils an estimated $4.1 million in 2017 alone}} Cemal Ardil is also the person who has published the most articles on the WASET website.{{cite web|last=Kaplan|first=Sefa|date=2010-12-12|title=Parayı bastıranı profesör yapıyorlar|trans-title=He who plunks down money gets made professor|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/parayi-bastirani-profesor-yapiyorlar-16512276|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730143905/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/parayi-bastirani-profesor-yapiyorlar-16512276|archive-date=2018-07-30|access-date=2015-02-03|work=Hürriyet|language=tr}}{{Cite web|last=Weber-Wulff|first=Debora|date=2012-06-17|title=Turkish mock conferences|url=https://copy-shake-paste.blogspot.com/2012/06/turkish-mock-conferences.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212192045/https://copy-shake-paste.blogspot.com/2012/06/turkish-mock-conferences.html|archive-date=2022-02-12|access-date=2022-02-12|website=Copy, Shake, and Paste: A blog about plagiarism and scientific misconduct}} Before taking on the name WASET, the organization was known under the name of "Enformatika".{{Cite web|url=http://www.enformatika.org|title=ENFORMATIKA: World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology|date=2007-03-29|website=Defunct website of Enformatika|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329032601/http://www.enformatika.org:80/|archive-date=2007-03-29|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|last=Gang|first=Erman|date=2016-04-01|title='Bilimsel şarlatanlığa' AKP koruması|language=tr|work=SoL|url=http://haber.sol.org.tr/bilim/bilimsel-sarlatanliga-akp-korumasi-151175|access-date=2018-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216063029/http://haber.sol.org.tr:80/bilim/bilimsel-sarlatanliga-akp-korumasi-151175|archive-date=2017-12-16}}

Journals are indexed in WASET's "International Science Index", not to be confused with the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) index, i.e. the Web of Science. WASET journals were indexed by Scopus and listed in the SCImago Journal Rank from 2009 until 2011, when the coverage was cancelled.{{cite web|url=http://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100197994&tip=sid|title=World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology|website=SCImago Journal Rank|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706084457/http://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100197994&tip=sid|archive-date=2017-07-06|url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-06}} They were furthermore included in Qualis, an official Brazilian system for classifying scientific literature, which guides researchers in choosing journals for publication. This inclusion was called a "serious failure" by scientists interviewed by Folha de S.Paulo, a Brazilian daily newspaper.

In 2013 one of WASET's journals, the International Journal of Medical, Pharmaceutical, Biological, and Life Sciences, accepted an obviously fake article in a sting operation by John Bohannon. The resulting article and data were published in Science.{{Cite journal|last=Bohannon|first=John|author-link=John Bohannon|date=2013-10-04|title=Who's Afraid of Peer Review?|journal=Science|language=en|volume=342|issue=6154|pages=60–65|doi=10.1126/science.342.6154.60|issn=0036-8075|pmid=24092725|doi-access=}}

In mid-July 2018, a research team of journalists including Süddeutsche Zeitung, ARD, ORF, BR, Falter and Le Monde published articles on unscientific and predatory publishers, including WASET and OMICS.{{Cite news|url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/pseudo-verlage-eine-bedrohung-fuer-die-wissenschaft-100.html|title=Pseudo-Verlage – Eine Bedrohung für die Wissenschaft|last1=Hornung|first1=Peter|date=2018-07-19|work=Bayerischer Rundfunk|access-date=2018-08-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726011509/https://www.br.de/nachrichten/pseudo-verlage-eine-bedrohung-fuer-die-wissenschaft-100.html|archive-date=2018-07-26|last2=Klühspies|first2=Anna|language=de-DE|trans-title=Pseudo-Publishers – A Threat to Science|last3=Mader|first3=Fabian|last4=Tillack|first4=Anna}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/mainz/Recherchen-zu-Fake-Science-Mainzer-Wissenschaftler-in-weltweiten-Skandal-verwickelt,fake-science-wissenschaft-skandal-100.html|title=Mainzer Wissenschaftler von weltweitem Skandal betroffen|date=2018-07-19|work=Südwestrundfunk|access-date=2018-08-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802020303/https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/mainz/Recherchen-zu-Fake-Science-Mainzer-Wissenschaftler-in-weltweiten-Skandal-verwickelt,fake-science-wissenschaft-skandal-100.html|archive-date=2018-08-02|language=de-DE|trans-title=Mainz scientists affected by worldwide scandal}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/Experiment-NDR-Autoren-publizieren-Fake-Science,unihimmelpforten100.html|title=So einfach wurden wir Wissenschaftler|last1=Eckert|first1=Svea|date=2018-07-19|work=Norddeutscher Rundfunk|access-date=2018-08-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018160139/https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/Experiment-NDR-Autoren-publizieren-Fake-Science,unihimmelpforten100.html|archive-date=2018-10-18|last2=Hornung|first2=Peter|language=de|trans-title=This is how easily we became scientists}} The group of journalists presented their findings at the 2018 DEF CON 26 conference in a talk entitled "Inside the Fake Science Factory".{{Cite web|url=https://www.defcon.org/html/defcon-26/dc-26-index.html#dc26early3|title=DEF CON 26 Early Release: Inside the Fake Science Factory!|date=2018-09-18|website=DEF CON® 26 Hacking Conference|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930225831/https://www.defcon.org/html/defcon-26/dc-26-index.html#dc26early3|archive-date=2019-09-30|access-date=2019-09-30}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ras_VYgA77Q|title=DEF CON 26 - Svea, Suggy, Till - Inside the Fake Science Factory|last=DEFCONConference|date=2018-09-17|website=Youtube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904014506/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ras_VYgA77Q|archive-date=2019-09-04|access-date=2019-09-04}}{{Cite web|last1=Eckert|first1=Svea|last2=Krause|first2=Till|last3=Sumner|first3=Chris|date=2018-08-11|title=Slides: Inside the Fake Science Factory|url=https://media.defcon.org/DEF%20CON%2026/DEF%20CON%2026%20presentations/DEFCON-26-Eckert-Sumner-Krause-Inside-the-Fake-Science-Factory-Updated.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511034008/https://media.defcon.org/DEF%20CON%2026/DEF%20CON%2026%20presentations/DEFCON-26-Eckert-Sumner-Krause-Inside-the-Fake-Science-Factory-Updated.pdf|archive-date=2021-05-11|access-date=2019-10-04|website=media.defcon.org}} They detail how a WASET conference works, show how they gave a presentation on a ludicrous paper (generated using SCIgen{{Cite news|url=https://news.kcij.org/67|title=The Secret of 'Fake Science' Factory|last=Yongjin|first=Kim|date=2018-09-11|work=KCIJ Newstapa|access-date=2019-10-04|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620011611/https://news.kcij.org/67|archive-date=2019-06-20}}) to the gathered academics, and how they confronted the single person organizing the conference. The journalists state that their "findings highlight the prevalence of the pseudo-academic conferences, journals and publications and the damage they can and are doing to society".

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.waset.org}}

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Category:Open access publishers