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Predatory Publishing

Common Characteristics of Predatory Publishers

Listed below are some common signs of a predatory publisher to keep an eye out for: 

  • Journal solicited you directly over email - an email that may include excessive flattery and praise, awkward and potentially typo-ridden language, and also may originate from a generic email address.   
  • Journal name is suspiciously similar to the name of a prominent journal in the field. 
  • Website has numerous spelling and grammatical errors, and may also have an amateurish appearance that includes broken links and low-quality images. 
  • Scope of the journal is either unclear or strangely broad.  
  • Contact information just has a web contact form instead of an email address and/or a physical address. 
  • No verifiable ISSN or DOI. 
  • Author fees are either unlisted, or suspiciously low in comparison to reputable open access journals. 
  • Promises a rapid peer-review process, usually in just a matter of days.
  • Manuscripts are asked to be submitted over email instead of through an online submission system.  
  • Retraction and/or correction policies are either unclear or not listed at all. 
  • Copyright policies are either unclear or not listed at all.

Common Characteristics of Reputable Publishers

In turn, reputable publishers usually carry some combination of the following characteristics: 

  • The journal is affiliated with or was established by a scholarly or academic institution or organization.
  • Possess a verifiable ISSN number
  • Articles have verifiable DOIs.
  • The journal has an impact factor.
  • The journal is listed in legitimate indexing services or databases.
  • The journal's scope is well defined and clearly written on its website.
  • The editors and the editorial board consist of recognized experts in the field.
  • The peer-review process is rigorous and clearly explained on website.
  • The fee structure is clearly explained and is easily found on the website.
  • The copyright and usage rights are clearly stated (e.g. Creative Commons License CC By license)
  • If it is an open access publication, the journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
    • Note: Some questionable journals also appear in directories such as DOAJ, so this should not be your only criteria when evaluating journals.
  • The publisher is a member of Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA).
  • The contact information is clearly provided.
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