This paper explores the fascinating phenomenon of “zombie journals” – journals that continue to exist after their editorial boards resign and launch rival “breakaway journals.” :doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2026.105519 Using cases from linguistics and bibliometrics, the study shows that journal brands can survive institutional crises, but often with dramatically changed author communities, citation patterns, and academic identities. #AcademicPublishing #OpenScience #Scientometrics #JournalMetrics