Contributions to renowned conferences and publications in recognized scientific journals are the currency of science. For you as a researcher, it is crucial to make your research visible and to publish your findings. Unfortunately, this is what dubious organizers and publishers attempt to exploit through fraudulent publication and conference offers.
What are Predatory Journals?
Dubious journals, also known as predatory journals, pursue a business model in which you are offered to publish your scientific work for a fee, without a quality assurance process and editorial oversight expected from legitimate academic journals. Papers in such journals are often not indexed in key scientific databases, making them not visible to the scholarly community. Increasingly, predatory publishers approach (especially early-career) researchers directly by email, inviting them to submit papers. Such solicitations should be treated with caution!
Checklists and Criteria for Credibility
Identifying these black sheep of the publishing industry isn't always easy. If you are considering submitting to a journal that is unfamiliar within your professional circles, you should examine it carefully. Evaluation tools and checklists like Think.Check.Submit.(link is external) offer helpful guidance.
Directories and Evaluation Tools
If the journal in question is Open Access, check whether it is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)(link is external). Only quality-checked titles from trusted publishers can be found here.
Potentially dubious journals, on the other hand, are included in the blacklist Beall's List(link is external). Before submitting articles to journals listed there, we strongly advise you to check your journal selection with utmost care.
Predatory Conferences
With the emergence of fraudulent practices in the publishing industry, many rogue publishers have expanded their business models to include predatory conferences. At first glance, such conferences may appear to be legitimate, scholarly events. However, they offer no real scientific value. These conferences are organized by companies whose sole goal is to make money with registration fees – exploiting both speakers and participants.
A checklist to help you identify questionable conferences is available at Think.Check.Attend.(link is external)
Consulting and Training Offers
If you would like to explore this topic in more depth, consider attending our course:
The Open Access Team at the University Library is also available for individual consultations. If you’re unsure about a publication offer, we’re happy to conduct further background research on your behalf.
