Monthly Archives: April 2025

New Predatory Publishing Guide

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Did you know that predatory publishers and organizers of predatory conferences prioritize profit over scholarly integrity? 

The recently launched Predatory Publishing Guide addresses the “what,” “why” and “how” of predatory publishers and predatory conference organizers. Risks include: 

  • Lack of peer review 
  • Limited visibility 
  • Impact 
  • Reputation damage to the author, conference participant, and institution 
  • Ethical concerns 
  • Copyright 

Efforts to fight predatory publishing require collaboration and support. Start with the Publishing Red Flags Handout Red Flags Handout. Additional tools and resources to identify predatory publishers and predatory conference organizers include: 

  • Cabell’s Predatory Journals 
  • Predatory Journal Checklist – created to assist researchers/scholars make an informed decision about where to publish. 
  • Think.Check.Submit – an international initiative to educate researchers/scholars in choosing a reputable Open Access journal.  
  • Conference Checker – the short questionnaire is designed to help to determine whether or not a conference is legitimate.  
  • Think, Check, Attend – an initiative to guide and assist researchers/scholars in choosing trusted conferences to attend and to present their research.  
  • Pivot – use as a starting point to review information and deadlines for open calls for papers from forthcoming conferences.  

Questions? Feedback? Use the Ask Us form or call 214-648-2001 Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. 

Updated changes to ProQuest Ebook Central

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Over the last month, ProQuest has shared news about enhancements and changes that either have already been applied or will be coming soon to their ebook platform, ProQuest Ebook Central.

Ebook Central Research Assistant

This tool launched in beta on the platform on April 3rd and offers readers the opportunity to:

  • Assess content relevance faster with chapter-level takeaways
  • Deepen understanding with key concept highlights 
  • Discover related resources within your Ebook Central collection

This tool is seamlessly integrated into Ebook Central for owned and subscribed titles.

Ebook Central EPUB (Electronic Publication)

Starting May 1, 2025, Electronic Publications (EPUBs) will become the default display format in Ebook Central’s online reader instead of PDF. This change is being made to create a more accessible, user-friendly experience on the platform – especially for readers using assistive technologies.

EPUB is a responsive, flexible format that adapts to different screen sizes, supports interactive features, and works more effectively with screen readers. It also aligns with evolving accessibility standards and legislation.

Users will continue to enjoy a seamless reading experience, now with added flexibility to switch between EPUB and PDF with our online reader. However, please note that anyone who has referenced specific page numbers in materials may see some differences, as EPUB’s reflowable (responsive) format adapts to screen size.

How the Archives contributes to campus sustainability initiatives

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The UT Southwestern Archives goes to great lengths to create sustainability when we deaccession or weed items from our collections. We consider what the item is and then determine the best action of recycling for it. With the help of the Sustainability Coordinator, we identified a company willing to recycle not only VHS, Betamax, and U-Matic tapes but also audiocassettes, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs: this means that we do not send pounds of plastic to the landfill after the materials have been digitized. Additionally, we either donate the books we weed or work to properly recycle the ones that cannot be donated. These are just some of the efforts we make to preserve our planet.

Is a reference manager by any other name just as sweet? (EndNote vs. Zotero)

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Because many people have used Zotero while at their previous institutions, the Library is providing a new class that compares EndNote with Zotero. This class is intended to help those who are familiar with Zotero but would like to learn about the differences and similarities between the platforms.

The class will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 15, at 12 p.m., and registration is required. (Note: If you are interested in this training but can’t attend, please register anyway, and we will send you a link to the recording.)