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  1. Tadeusz Iwaniec

    Syracuse University - Mathematics

    Corrupt practices of Elsevier’s editors In its September 2005 issue, the peer-reviewed Elsevier journal “Computers & Mathematics with Applications” (CMA, with E. Rodin acting as Editor-in-Chief) published the article of Shusen Ding: “Global Estimates for the Jacobians of Orientation Preserving Mappings, Volume 50, issue 5/6, pages 707—71. It appeared on line in October 8, 2005. Surprisingly, Shusen Ding included my name as a co-author though I had no part whatsoever in this article. He wrote the entire paper himself and added my name without my permission. He submitted it to CMA and kept it secret from me until October 10, 2005; that is, two days after his paper became available on line. But I saw this publication and examined its content only in November 19, 2005, through an announcement in MathSciNet. I am not and never was a co-author of this article. 1. In fact S. Ding submitted his purported joint paper in April 2005 to his colleague R. Agarwal (Associate Editor of CMA) who accepted it instantly without refereeing. E. Rodin approved Agarval’s acceptance form. 2. On July 8, 2005, Ding usurped the role of a corresponding co-author and signed the Consent to Publish and Copyright Agreement on my behalf. Later, in spite of my repeated requests Elsevier refused to inquire into this illicit act. 3. I informed Rodin that the paper contained a fatal flow. The Editor-in-Chief must and should have known that the article (published without refereeing) could be a fraud. He was not honest enough to notify the readers of the flow. Such behavior should be exposed to the mathematical community. 4. The Editor-in-Chief, a person we are supposed to trust, rather than offering up an honest resolution, jointed Ding’s invented story. Sadly, Rodin had the nerve to insinuate my involvement in this publication, something completely false, further jeopardizing my reputation in the Dean’s Office of Syracuse University. 5. It is hard to explain my strong feeling of disappointment when I was insulted and threatened by the following statement in Rodin’s letter: “However, seeing the steps that Dr. Iwaniec is taking, I am inclined to publish details of the entire controversy in the greater mathematical community. As of now, however, I shall refrain doing so, because, I do not want to completely ruin Dr. Iwaniec’s reputation” In addition, Christee Zimmermann (Assistant Manager for CMA) forwarded to me her advice to Rodin on how to treat my indignation against his statement: “This seems to be one very confused person” 6. It was a difficult task for me to fight against Ding’s dishonest lawyers (B. Esler and S. Pack) and powerful Elsevier’s attorneys for Rodin; both had a compelling interest of self preservation. Finally (in August 2008), after stressful and financially costly conciliation (it cost me ~$ 12.000 for legal assistance), Elsevier’s attorney Mark Seeley, S. Ding and E. Rodin admitted that: “ Dr. T. Iwaniec was not a co-author of this article”, what a courtesy? 7. Do not let CMA get away with its harmful malpractice. This type of behavior must stop and Rodin has to accept the codes and ethical guidelines for editors. If not, Elsevier will easily become a rich publishing company, full of dishonest and indifferent editors, and we the mathematicians will be losers. What appears to be happening is that some publishers are receiving revenues along with their fees from the libraries of Mathematics Departments that are not aware of the low quality of some journals. In the near future these publishers will also increase their profits by implementing the author-pay model of publication, heedless of the damage to mathematical sciences. Honest researchers will risk paying thousands of dollars in legal costs to retract their names from fraudulent publications or to defend themselves from powerful companies such as Elsevier. I am motivated to fight against dishonest interests of Elsevier but I cannot fight without your help as some mediocre Elsevier journals operate unethically.