Can anyone come with proportionate list of free journals (gold open access, and APC free). APC free often would be worst than the APC based as every download demands 35 to 40 USD, millions of scholars put under pressure as every scholar needs to access about few hundred articles. So, APC free journals are not really free. How many of them find place under SCOPUS. For how long will they be in the list. So scholars end up feeding the MNC company.

Hi Natarajan Gajendran . Thank you for your post. This post really resonate with me. I also feel that the current state of academic publishing paints a disheartening picture. The dominance of Scopus and Web of Science (ISI) has created a system that feels less about sharing knowledge and more about chasing profits. What started as platforms to ensure quality and credibility in research has now spiraled into a structure that often prioritizes money over meaning, leaving researchers and the academic community caught in the middle.

One of the biggest concerns is how Scopus, with its aggressive marketing, appears to favor journals owned by its parent company. This selective approach makes it harder for independent or smaller journals to gain recognition, effectively limiting diversity in academic voices. Worse, this system has created a space for predatory journals to thrive—journals that charge exorbitant fees, sometimes as high as $1,000 to $3,000 per article, while offering little in return. For researchers, especially those from developing countries or underfunded institutions, this becomes an insurmountable barrier to sharing their work on a global platform.

What makes this even more frustrating is the unfair treatment of peer reviewers—the unsung heroes of academic publishing. These are the people who dedicate their time, expertise, and effort to carefully review research and ensure its quality before publication. Yet, despite their critical role, they receive no compensation for their work. Meanwhile, journals rake in massive profits through high publication fees, creating a system where those who uphold the quality of research are undervalued and overlooked.

On top of this, researchers are often pressured into publishing in Scopus or ISI-indexed journals because of institutional demands for promotions, tenure, or funding. This "publish or perish" culture forces academics to prioritize metrics and rankings over meaningful contributions, shifting the focus from quality research to simply meeting publishing quotas. The result? A system that feels more like a race for numbers than a pursuit of knowledge.

It’s time for us to talk about this. The academic community needs to come together and rethink how we approach publishing. We need to push for systems that are fair, inclusive, and transparent—systems that value the integrity of research over profit. Open-access platforms and alternative indexing agencies could be a step in the right direction. And let’s not forget the peer reviewers—these individuals deserve recognition and compensation for the critical work they do to maintain the quality of academic research.

The current model, dominated by Scopus and ISI, has lost sight of what academic publishing should be about: advancing knowledge and making it accessible to all. If we want to restore the true purpose of research—to educate, empower, and benefit society—we need to challenge this system and build something better. It’s a conversation we can no longer afford to ignore.