Predatory publishing

How to Avoid Unscrupulous Magazines

Currently, the academic and scientific communities place great emphasis on the tracking and evaluation of publications. Researchers, universities, and institutions use this to measure their contributions and success and to establish international collaborations. However, with the development of technology and the Open Access model, the number of predatory journals, conferences, and unethical practices is growing alongside high-quality research.

Predatory publishers primarily exploit the Gold Open Access payment model. Solely for profit, they imitate legitimate academic journals and will publish anything for a fee. In doing so, they spread pseudoscience, undermine the value of research, and damage the credibility of the authors. Some of them have even managed to infiltrate reputable databases and registries such as Scopus, WoS, and DOAJ.

Why is publishing in predatory journals harmful?

How can you spot fraudulent practices and identify predatory publishers? What should you watch out for when publishing?

Publishing in predatory or low-quality academic journals can result in:

a decline in the credibility of research
damage to the author’s professional reputation or the prestige of the workplace
disruptions in the disbursement of funds or problems obtaining grants
low visibility and citation count of the publication
possible loss of copyright
issuing invoices with increased or unexpected fees that were not specified prior to the publication’s release
the total loss of time and financial resources

Doubtful predatory practices include:

sending a large number of personalized email invitations to publish or participate in conferences
professional websites that are easy to find, targeted, or even promoted, and that attract the attention of authors—for example, through “current topics” specifically in their field of study
targeting / reaching out to individual authors, rather than the scientific community as a whole

The characteristic features of predatory publishers, journals, and conferences include:

Registration of publishers and their addresses in less developed countries in Africa and Asia
the absence of the publisher’s address or registered office on the website
A website of above-average quality OR an average website with ads
grammatical errors on the publisher’s website or in the journals themselves
Below-average graphics quality or low-resolution images
the editor-in-chief’s vague description and the presentation of an extensive (often fabricated) list of international researchers on the editorial board, despite the fact that the journal is relatively new and unknown
a magazine title that modifies a generic title using adjectives such as ” International,” “Global,” “World,” and so on.
indexing in questionable databases (such as Index Copernicus, Universal Impact Factor, Cite Factor, etc.), or false claims regarding indexing in recognized databases (DOAJ, WoS, Scopus)
the use of misleading scientometric indicators, including the Impact Factor
short review periods and expedited publication of articles

What should you keep in mind and what should you do before deciding where to publish?:

think about the magazine’s title
evaluate the publisher’s website
verify the publisher’s registered office
check for errors and assess the quality of the images in the magazine
check the members of the editorial board and the reviewers
assess the length of the publication period (a very short period is suspicious)
Consider the fees (fees that are too low are suspicious) and ensure they are clearly specified
verify the journal’s ISSN, for example, on the ISSN portal
For Open Access publications, check whether they are listed in the DOAJ journal directory
verify the accuracy of scientometric data
check whether the journal in question appears on Beall’s list of potential predatory journals
check to see if the journal in question is on the Stop Predatory Journals initiative’s list of predatory journals and publishers
Visit the “Think – Check – Publish” website and use the checklist to assess the credibility of a conference organizer or publisher
If necessary, contact your supervisor or a more experienced colleague, or one of our staff.