Yes I was going to check whether they listed their reviewers. I don't really want my name associated with this journal, but on the other hand I'm excited because this is the first review that I've been asked to do. There's only a few groups around the world working on my species, so I'm pretty sure who has written the paper as well. I think it's a group from Africa and maybe they might find it difficult to publish elsewhere so maybe that's the reason they've opted for this journal.

I've just been sent a request to review a paper from a journal that is on this list of blacklisted journals:
http://scholarlyoa.com/2015/01/02/bealls-list-of-predatory-publishers-2015/

The paper in question is a relevant topic for me because it's the species I work on, so I know they've asked me because of this.

Whilst I wouldn't publish here, is it still ethical to review a paper from this journal?

I know my literature area inside out so from a quick skim through I can already see paragraphs copied directly from papers they have cited, so I might reject on grounds of plagiarism anyway, although the actual experimental study looks ok.

A lot of time if you are applying for taught courses you only need a cover letter, a CV and names of referees, It doesn't require a lot of effort really.

That very much depends on what career you want. You should look at job openings and see what qualifications are required, and see if they specify MSc, M.Eng or PhD/doctoral equivalent.

I doubt anyone knows about the specific course. It's going to be more advanced than your BSc, simply because it's an MSc.

I'd probably say look for a another PhD elsewhere. It's going to be really difficult without a supportive and knowledgeable supervisor. But find a PhD first before you jump ship! And bear in mind it's really difficult to find out how good a supervisor is unless you meet ppl from their lab and ask them, and obviously that's hard to do.

I'd probably say that in your third year it will end up being too much, and also I'm not how much value it would add, especially since you have done internships previously.

This might be a bit subject specific for this forum, but... any takers??

Sorry to hear about your experience. Are you able to discuss it with another academic/head of dept/pastoral carer and see what you can salvage?

I knew a MSc student from the US, she paid $25k for fees (extortionate considering she lived in the state, so this would be discounted) and took a $25k loan for living expenses. I really don't think it's worth it for a one year course, and I'm not sure how many doors it would open in the UK (probably depends if the uni is well known) and the US job market is extremely competitive.

You mean mention about the reason for the failures? I think she could mention it, she could say that she had a baby during the degree, therefore her grades suffered, but she was able to demonstrate she could achieve high marks when she retook the classes later on (If that is what happened).

I expect different places have different rules so she should have more success elsewhere.

*Bump*

I submitted mine a month or so ago, and I didn't really feel anything to be honest! Actually I'm sat here now reading new papers that have come out in the last month and adding them into my thesis... I'm supposed to be writing a paper, not messing about with my thesis, but until I have actually had my viva and made the final examiners corrections, I still feel like I can improve it, or at least make it as up to date as possible. I know this makes no difference whatsoever to anyone else but me, but I still want to do it...

Are you looking to apply for something specific? If so, you might want to contact the organisation directly as ask if they will accept your degree as an equivalent. I doubt there is a consensus - it's probably organisation dependent.