Skip to Main Content

Publishing and Scholarly Communication: Predatory Publishing

Predatory Publishing

When building a publishing track record it is important to avoid publishing in journals or through book publishers who display unethical practices, such as falsely claiming that your work will be peer reviewed, or displaying fictitious impact factors. these publishers are colloquially known as 'Predatory Publishers' 

Predatory publishers take advantage of the open access publishing model and the current pressure on academics to publish. Predatory publishers pretend to be credible Open Access publishers (either imitating well-known publishers or creating their own publishing platform).

They usually target academics looking to submit articles to journals by imitating journal publishers (often known as 'fake journals'), but they can also pretend to be book publishers.

They send emails to academics asking for submissions and promise a rapid peer review process. The peer review process is rapid because it typically does not happen at all. Predatory publishers usually publish everything they receive.

In recent years the number of predatory publishers has grown and developing strategies to identify them and avoid publishing with them is important for all researchers. 

Read more about 'predatory' publishing:

Useful Resources and Guides

Avoiding Predatory Publishers

There are a number of resources available online to help identify Predatory Journals and Book Publishers

  1. Predatory Journals is an organisation made up of volunteer researchers who have been harmed by predatory publishers and want to help researchers identify trusted journals and publishers for their research. The Predatory Lists aims to educate researchers and students, promote integrity, and build trust in scientific research and publications
  2. Retraction Watch tracks latest news and incidents of predatory publishing, plagiarsim, falsified data and peer-review scandals.
  3. Jeffrey Beall, a former librarian, collated a list of potential and possible predatory scholarly open access journals. However, this list was last updated in 2017. Researchers could refer this archived list to find out if the journal/publisher is blacklisted.

Think. Check. Submit. is a campaign to help researchers identify trusted journals for their research. It is a simple checklist researchers can use to assess the credentials of a journal or publisher.

Think! Are you submitting your research to a trusted journal? Publishing your research results is key to advancing your discipline - and your career - but with so many journals in your field, how can you be sure that you're choosing a reputable trustworthy journal? Think! Check! Submit! Tips to confirm a journal's credentials and decide if it will help you reach the right audience with your research and make an impact on your career.

 

Are you submitting your research to a trusted journal?
Is it the right journal for your work?

 

  • More research is being published worldwide.
  • New journals are launched each week.
  • Many researchers have concerns about predatory publishing.
  • It can be challenging to find up-to-date guidance when choosing where to publish.

How can you be sure the journal you are considering is the right journal for your research?

Reference this list for your chosen journal to check if it is trusted.

 

  • Do you or your colleagues know the journal?
    – Have you read any articles in the journal before?
    – Is it easy to discover the latest papers in the journal?
    – Name of journal: is the journal name the same as or easily confused with that of another?
    – Can you cross check with information about the journal in the ISSN portal?
  • Can you easily identify and contact the publisher?
    – Is the publisher name clearly displayed on the journal website?
    – Can you contact the publisher by telephone, email, and post?
  • Is the journal clear about the type of peer review it uses?
    – Does the website mention whether the process involves independent/external reviewers, how many reviewers per paper?
    – Is the publisher offering a review by an expert editorial board or by researchers in your subject area?
    – Does the journal guarantee acceptance or a very short peer review time?
  • Are articles indexed and/or archived in dedicated services?
    – Will your work be indexed/archived in an easily discoverable database?
    – Does the publisher ensure long term archiving and preservation of digital publications?
    – Does the publisher use permanent digital identifiers?
  • Is it clear what fees will be charged?
    – Does the journal site explain what these fees are for and when they will be charged?
    – Does the publisher explain on their website how they are financially supported?
    – Do they mention the currency and amount of any fees?
    – Does the publisher website explain whether or not waivers are available?
  • Are guidelines provided for authors on the publisher website?
    – For open access journals, does the publisher have a clear license policy? Are there preferred licenses? Are there exceptions permitted depending on the needs of the author? Are license details included on all publications?
    – Does the publisher allow you to retain copyright of your work? Can you share your work via, for example, an institutional repository, and under what terms?
    – Does the publisher have a clear policy regarding potential conflicts of interest for authors, editors and reviewers?
    – Can you tell what formats your paper will be available in? (e.g. HTML, XML, PDF)
    – Does the journal provide any information about metrics of usage or citations?
  • Is the publisher a member of a recognized industry initiative?
    – Do they belong to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) ?
    – If the journal is open access, is it listed in the Directory of Open Access
    Journals (DOAJ) ?
    – If the journal is open access, does the publisher belong to the Open Access
    Scholarly Publishers’ Association (OASPA) ?
    – Is the journal hosted on one of INASP’s Journals Online platforms (for journals published in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Central America and Mongolia) or on African Journals Online (AJOL, for African journals)?
    – Is the publisher a member of another trade association?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to most or all of the questions on the list.

Complete the check list and submit your article only if you can answer ‘yes’ to most or all of the questions above.