There are no simple definitions. The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) places journals along a spectrum. “Fraudulent” journals that make false claims about their publishing programs sit on one end of the spectrum. “Quality” journals that follow best practices for peer review and research integrity sit on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Why should I be concerned?
If you publish your research in a predatory journal, you face these potential consequences:
Damage to your reputation and career
Wasted time, effort, and money
Loss of your research and scholarship
How can I identify a predatory journal?
Quality journals meet the following criteria. Investigate carefully. If a journal does not meet one or more of these criteria, you may want to avoid it.
Journal’s website provides clear, true, verifiable information about the publisher and the publishing process.
The journal follows international standards for peer review and research integrity. For example, see the best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
The editors and board members listed on the journal’s website are experts in the relevant research area and, on their own websites or CVs, they mentioned service to the journal.
The journal is indexed in major databases, such as EBSCO, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed.
Why can’t I simply check for a particular journal on a “watchlist”?
Watchlists are incomplete. They go out of date very quickly, and they may accidentally include quality journals. You want to investigate a journal for yourself.
What other tools are available for evaluating journals?
One tool is Think. Check. Submit., which provides information about predatory journals as well as predatory book publishers and conferences.
Where can I learn more about predatory journals?
These resources are freely available on the web.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) - Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
Cornell University Library (2020) - Understanding and avoiding predatory publishing
InterAcademy Partnership (2022) - Combating predatory academic journals and conferences
