Multidisciplinary journals: an examination of ontological and ethical aspects

Abstract

This study examines the emergence, functions, and accompanying debates surrounding multidisciplinary journals in the context of contemporary academic publishing. Journals such as Heliyon, Scientific Reports, and PLOS ONE, published by major publishers like Elsevier, Wiley, Nature Portfolio, and PLOS, represent a trend of uniting diverse scientific fields under a single publishing platform. While publishers of multidisciplinary journals justify their existence ontologically with arguments such as the necessity of interdisciplinarity in solving scientific problems and facilitating academic knowledge exchange, their motivation to increase commercial profitability is also evident—particularly through the APC (Article Processing Charges) and waiver policies they implement. These journals also provide opportunities for young and less experienced academics to participate in scholarly publishing, as reflected in the profiles of their authors. Publishers claim to apply high ethical standards and transparent editorial processes in these journals. However, the high volume of publications inherent in the nature of multidisciplinary journals has also led to ethical concerns. One significant example is the delisting of Elsevier’s Heliyon journal from the Web of Science index in 2024. While the innovation and accessibility offered by multidisciplinary journals are commendable, it is recommended that oversight be strengthened to prevent ethical violations.