Predatory journals are those journals that publish anything for a fee. Until January this year, the most commonly used list for identifying predatory journals was the one published by Jeffrey Beall, a renowned expert on predatory publishing. This list containing the names of almost 1,155 allegedly predatory open access publishers was taken offline; however, it can still be found archived here. Another blacklist of 5,948 predatory publishers was recently released by Cabell’s International in June 2017. However, this list requires a subscription.
Here are some indicators to look out for while identifying journals:
- The journal has no address or contact information other than an email address listed.
- There are articles listed but no evidence of an editorial board to review those articles.
- The website has an overwhelming number of images from major publishers who would have no reason to partner with this journal.
- The editorial board seems to contain very prominent researchers who would be too busy to work with an unknown journal.
- There is no mention of an APF. This means you’ll likely receive an outrageous bill after your article has been rapidly accepted for publication.
- There is no mention of a peer review process or basic submission requirements.
To avail professional help to select an appropriate target journal for your manuscript, you can take the help of Enago’s Journal Selection service wherein we have experts suggesting you with the top 3-5 journals best suited to your manuscript and preferences once you send us the criteria.
