The Internet has paved the way for journals to be published online and has provided easier access to their articles but it also created a business opportunity for imposter (predatory) publishers.
The term predatory is associated with publishers that:
Why do researchers publish in predatory journals?
"I knew that navigating rejection was part of the job, but I was also starting to wonder whether my study . . . would ever see the light of day. So when I received the email from a newly launched journal inviting me to publish with them, I saw a lifeline" (from "How I became easy prey to a predatory publisher")
Take careful consideration when choosing a journal to submit to. If there are more “No” than “Yes” answers when filling out the checklist, you may want to reconsider whether you would like to submit your work to the journal.
| Category | Question |
|---|---|
| If the journal sent you an email, does the email look professional? | |
| Website | Does the journal’s website look professional? |
| Editorial Board | Does the editorial board appear legitimate? |
| Policies | Does the journal have clear policies? |
| Content | Does the journal have high-quality content? |
| Impact | Does the journal have a legitimate impact factor? |
| Indexing | Is the journal indexed in a reputable database? |
| Transparency | Does the journal have transparent and feasible workflows and charges? |
| Publisher | Can you verify information about the publisher? |
| Fit | Is the journal a good fit for your research? |
Carefully check:
(adapted from workshop "Fraudulent Journals and Conferences" by Paije Wilson)