Question

Directions for sentence exclusion: Five sentences are given below; out of these, four come together to form a coherent paragraph, but one sentence does not fit into the sequence. Choose the sentence that does not fit into the sequence.

• A. There is a dark side to academic research, especially in India, and at its centre is the phenomenon of predatory journals.
• B. But in truth, as long as you pay, you can get anything published.
• C. In look and feel thus, they are exactly like any reputed journal.
• D. They claim to be indexed in the most influential databases, say they possess editorial boards that comprise top scientists and researchers, and claim to have a rigorous peer-review structure.
• E. But a large section of researchers and scientists across the world are at the receiving end of nothing short of an academic publishing scam.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

To solve the problem of identifying the sentence that does not fit within a coherent paragraph, we must first examine the flow and context of the sentences. Let's analyze the given sentences: 

1. There is a dark side to academic research, especially in India, and at its centre is the phenomenon of predatory journals.

2. But in truth, as long as you pay, you can get anything published.

3. In look and feel thus, they are exactly like any reputed journal.

4. They claim to be indexed in the most influential databases, say they possess editorial boards that comprise top scientists and researchers, and claim to have a rigorous peer-review structure.

5. But a large section of researchers and scientists across the world are at the receiving end of nothing short of an academic publishing scam.

Now, let's determine the coherence among these sentences:

Sentence 1 introduces the issue of predatory journals in academic research, indicating its dark side.

Sentence 2 suggests that the publishing in such journals is more about monetary transactions than academic credibility, fitting the context of predatory journals.

Sentence 3 continues by comparing predatory journals with reputed ones in terms of appearance, staying on topic.

Sentence 4 further elaborates on the false claims made by these predatory journals, supporting the central theme.

Sentence 5, however, shifts focus from the characteristics of predatory journals to the impact on researchers globally, which deviates slightly from describing the journals themselves.

Upon analysis, sentence 5 discusses the global impact and shifts the focus from directly analyzing predatory journals, making it less suitable than the other sentences which collectively describe the attributes and functioning of predatory journals. Hence, it does not fit into the sequence.

Therefore, the sentence that does not fit into the coherent paragraph is:

But a large section of researchers and scientists across the world are at the receiving end of nothing short of an academic publishing scam.