Avoiding predatory journals
Michael Theis "Caution" Caution signs at the lookout over Coral Bay. It didn't look to dangerous so I climbed it anyway. Nice panoramic view from here.
Article from the UNIS Library:
Receiving offers from publishers and journals to publish papers is not always a good thing. Unfortunately there is an increasing number of fake publishers charging researchers a processing fee to publish in worthless journals. Here are some tips on how to avoid these journals.
Tips
- Ask your colleagues if they know about the journal.
- Check the Norwegian register for scientific journals, series and publishers.
- Check Bealls Blacklist of journals, or Google the title of the journal + the word “predatory”, others might have published their experiences.
- If the journal is open access, check if it is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
- And check if the publisher belongs to the Open Access Scholarly Publishers’ Association (OASPA).
- Think. Check. Submit.
Red flags
- Poor language or misspellings in emails or website.
- Unprofessional website.
- Unclear country of origin, or difficulty finding contact information.
- Poor information about the editor(s), sometimes fake names are used, other times names of real researchers are used without their knowledge.
- A business model based on Article Processing Charges (APC), or publications fees. Sometimes the cost is not divulged until after you have submitted your manuscript.
- No, or poor, peer review process. Usually promising “fast publication”.
If in doubt, please contact the UNIS Library.
Photo: Caution by Michael Theis