“Predatory” journals and publishers exploit the open access publishing model to take advantage at the expense of academic community. They provide false or misleading information, lack transparency, offer low-quality services, employ unethical editorial practices, and contact authors with aggressive and indiscriminate requests. Before submitting your article to a journal, ensure that it is reliable and of high quality.
Contacts and information
Can you easily identify and contact the publisher?
is it a well-known publisher? are the contact details on the website clear and verifiable? is the registered office provided and does it align with the information presented on the website?
Editorial and scientific board
Do you recognize the editorial board?
is it composed by authoritative researchers recognize dby the academic community?do the members operate in the fields of study indicated by the journal? do they mention the journal on their personal website?
Peer-review and timing
Does the journal clearly outline its peer-review procedures?
does the journal promise and advertise an (excessively) quick review process? is the process clearly described?
Indexing and membership
Is the journal indexed in major scientific databases (e.g. DOAJ, Scopus, Wos)? Is the publisher a member of key industry organizations (e.g. COPE, OASPA, STM)?
if the website states that the journal is indexed in a database and has specific bibliometric indicators, verify that this is trustworthy. predatory journals often claim non-existent indicators (with names similar to more widely recognized and reputable ones).
Publication fees
Are the publication fees clearly stated?
on the journal’s website, is it clearly indicated for which services these payments are, and when they will be charged? are the indicated costs consistent with those of other journals in the same field?
Website, contents and graphic layout
Are the contents present and consistent with the scientific field of the journal?
are the articles original and well-crafted? are they written correctly, or are there grammatical errors?
the graphic layout of predatory journals often mimics that of well-known journals in the field, it may be rudimentary and include non-relevant advertising content.
Guidelines for authors and licenses
Are author guidelines available? Are the copyright terms transparent?
Digital storage policies
Does the journal provide information on long-term digital storage options?
Think. Check. Submit. Choose the right journal or publisher for your research ↗
A reference website to identify reputable and reliable journals and publishers through a series of practical tools and resources. This international initiative aims to assist researchers, promote research integrity and foster confidence in the publishing system.
Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing ↗
The transparency principles for academic publishing jointly defined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).