What is Predatory Journal?
Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.
Characteristics of a Predatory Publisher
There are many ways to identify a predatory publisher and publication. Here are some common traits:
- They are not associated or ran by a credible scholarly or technical society/association, although they may "claim to be".
- Do not receive pubic grants or funds.
- They send constant spam emails.
- They brag about the high quality of the journal, which can include false claims about their journal rankings and citations.
- Features an editor-in-chief who also edits numerous other publications, from a variety of different disciplines.
- Claims a fast publication process.
- Titles of publications are vey similar to those of highly respected legitimate journals.
- Their websites are hard to navigate - hard to find who manages the actual publication.
How to Avoid Predatory Publishers
- Contact your librarian for a second opinion about the authenticity of a publisher or journal.
- Be weary of email invitations to submit articles or to become an editor on their editorial board.
- Review their peer-review process. The less detail there is, then it probably isn't legitimate.
- Use common sense! If something looks off, proceed with caution.
