A Guide To...Predatory Publishing

If you're not sure if a publisher is legitimate or predatory, be on the watch for the following red flags:[3]

• E-mailed Invitations to Submit an Article:
  • Was the e-mail well written? Were there typos or misspelled words? Was the language awkward or unprofessional? Did the e-mail use flattery to convince you to submit your article or join their editorial board?
• Journal's Name Suspiciously Similar to Another Prominent Journal in the Field:
  • Is the title trying to make you believe it a journal or publisher with which you are already familiar? Many predatory publishers create journal titles (and even publisher company names) that are intentionally similar to well respected journals or publishers. 
• Misleading Geographic Information in the Title:
  • A title might suggest that the journal is based in the United States or England, but in reality, the publisher might actually be based in India or China.
• Unprofessional Website Appearance:
  • Does the website have a professional appearance? Are there typos? Are there advertisements?
  • Does the website include "About" information? If so, is the information that is provided sufficient? Do they seem to have a legitimate aim and scope? Is the journal sponsored or produced by a well-known, and well-respected organization, association, or academic institution?
• Insufficient Contact Information: 
  • Do they provide full contact information including a physical address, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses? Be wary of journals that only provide a web contact form.
  • Do a Google search for the address and look at the street view. Does it look like the type of location from which a reputable publisher would operate?
• Lack of Editors or Editorial Board:
  • Does the journal list the members of its editorial board on their website? 
• Editors with No or Fake Academic Credentials:
  • Are these people recognized experts in the field with full credentials? Feel free to contact editors and ask about their experience with the journal.
• Unclear Author Fee Structures:
  • Are policies regarding author fees easily located on the journals website? Is this information clearly explained? Do the author fees seem comparable to other reputable open access journals?
• Bogus Impact Factors:
  • Does the journal claim to have an impact factor? Search for the journal on Incites Journal Citation Reports to verify this claimed impact factor.
• Invented Metrics:
  • Have you heard of the metrics the journal uses? Do other reputable journals use these metrics? Many predatory publishers use fake or invented metrics to fool you into believing they are a credible journal.
• False Index Claims:
  • Where is the journal indexed? Can this be verified on UlrichsWeb?
• Peer Review Process:
  • What is the journal's peer review process? Is this process clearly explained on the journal's website? Can you verify that this process is actually followed?
  • Be wary of promises of a speedy peer review process. Many predatory journals claim to have a rigorous peer review process when no peer review actually exists.
• Lack of ISSN
• ​"Instructions for Authors" Information is Unavailable
• Evaluate Published Articles:
  • Are published articles available? Some predatory publishers don't actually make articles available on their sites.
  • Have numerous articles been published by the same author(s)? 
  • Do the article titles and abstracts seem appropriate for the journal? Do these articles seem well researched and based on sound science?
  • Feel free to contact past authors and ask about their experiences with the journal.
• Publisher has a Negative Reputation:
  • Have you found documented examples that the journal or publisher has a negative reputation in reputable sources?
• Author Fees:
  • Are the policies regarding author fees easily located on the journal website? Is this information clearly explained? Do author fees seem comparable to other reputable open access journals?
• Use Common Sense:
  • If things just don't seem to be right, trust your instincts and stay away.

There is no single checklist that determines if a journal or publisher is legitimate or predatory. However, qualities of reputable publishers include the following: 

• Journal Scope is well defined and clearly stated on the journal's website
• Editors and Editorial Board consists of recognized experts in the field
• Journal is affiliated or was established by scholarly or academic institution or organization
• Peer Review process is rigorous and explained clearly on website
• Articles fall within the stated scope of the publication
• Publication fee structure is clearly explained and easy to find on website
• ISBN exists
• Articles have Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
• Journal has an Impact Factor
• Usage rights are clearly stated (e.g. Creative Commons License CC By license)
• Journal is registered on UlrichsWeb Global Serials Directory
• Journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals
• Publisher is a member of Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA)
• Journal is indexed in subject databases or indexes
• Contact information is clearly provided and available
• Publishing schedule and publication frequency is clearly stated
• Solicitation of manuscripts and other direct marketing are appropriate, well-targeted, and unobtrusive

The contents of this box are borrowed from Scholarly Publishing: Predatory Publishing by Ruth Bueter at  Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, George Washington University. Used with permission.