Predatory Publishers

• Rapid publication is promised
• The homepage language targets authors
• The journal does not have clear policies on retraction, corrections/errata, or plagiarism (see the ICMJE Recommendations for more detailed discussion about best practices)
• Description of the manuscript handling process is lacking
• The contact email address is non-professional and non-journal related
• Manuscripts are requested to be submitted by email instead of through an online submission system
• Journals claiming to be open access either retain copyright of published research or fail to mention copyright
• Article processing and/or publication charge is very low (e.g. < $150)
• Information on whether and how journal content will be archived and preserved is absent
• Scope of journal is not clear
• Website contains spelling and grammatical errors

(Adapted from Shamseer, L., Moher, D., Maduekwe, O., Turner, L., Barbour, V., Burch, R., Clark, J., Galipeau, J., Roberts, J., & Shea, B.J. (2017). Potential predatory and legitimate biomedical journals: can you tell the difference? A cross-sectional comparison. BMC Medicine 15(1) 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0785-9.)

Other Red Flags

• No ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)
• Not indexed by MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, or other legitimate abstracting or indexing services or databases
• Journal title mirrors the title of an established journal with one or two words being different
• Journal is not published by reputable or known publisher
• Journal sends unsolicited email invitations for submissions, reviewers, or to serve on its editorial board
• Looks like a trade journal, not a scholarly journal
• Advertising is accepted

The following are positive indicators that a journal or publisher is not predatory:

• Scope of the journal is well-defined and clearly stated
• Journal’s primary audience is researchers/practitioners
• Editor, editorial board are recognized experts in the field
• Journal is affiliated with or sponsored by an established scholarly society or academic institution
• Articles are within the scope of the journal and meet the standards of the discipline
• Any fees or charges for publishing in the journal are easily found on the journal web site and clearly explained
• Articles have DOIs
• Journal clearly indicates rights for use and re-use of content at article level (e.g., Creative Commons CC BY license)
• Journal has an ISSN (check the validity of the ISSN using ISSN Portal)
• Publisher is a member of Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association
• Journal is registered in UlrichsWeb Global Serials Directory
• Journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals
• Journal is included in legitimate abstracting or indexing services or databases (such as MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science)

Ask the following:

• Is the journal published by an established publisher or recognized professional society?
• Do you recognize the name of the editor-in-chief or members of the editorial board? Are they experts in your field of research?
• Does the journal provide a sample of the Copyright Transfer Agreement on its website?
• Is the publication schedule clear and consistent?
• Are the journal’s Aim and Scope clearly stated?
• Does the journal post a statement about its ethical practice? Does it appear to adhere to Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing?
• Is the publisher a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) or the International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM)?
• Is the journal listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)? Is the publisher a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA)?