Most academics know that MDPI is not the most reputable publisher but this is particularly grim: a special issue in which 27th of the 28th papers are authored by the two guest editors. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/processes/special_issues/Biologics_Botanicals

They keep bugging me to guest edit something or other for them. Never realized I could turn it into a personal project as editor! 😒

😱

Many of them have the "Editor's Choice" tag, but not all ...

Nope, no conflict of interest here!

So I checked in with MDPI and you’ll all be relieved to know that this was an anomaly and normally guest editors author no more than 20% of the papers in their special issues.

The key to a loooong list of publications

That Axel Schmidt has let himself be taken for a fool; Strube took all last authorships. Maybe Strube could do a special issue on paper mills and integrity.

Did they not think that anyone would notice?

Maybe a naive question: did they select the reviewers themselves as well?

Yow. I have told them to pound sand a remarkable number of times (review / editor requests).