Contributions to renowned conferences and publications in recognized scientific journals are the currency of science. For you as a scientist it is crucial to make your research visible and to publish your findings. This is what dubious organizers and publishers and fraudulent publication offers try to exploit.
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 work, as is usual for serious journals. Contents of these dubious journals are often not indexed in the relevant professional databases and thus remain hidden from the professional community.
Increasingly, many dubious journals and publishers are also contacting (especially young) scientists directly by e-mail and asking for contributions. With such inquiries special caution is required!
Checklists and Criteria for Seriousness
However, it is not always easy to recognize the black sheep. If you are considering a publication in a journal that is not known in your professional circles, you should examine it carefully. Evaluation portals and checklists like Think.Check.Submit. can be a guide.
Directories and Evaluation Tools
If it is an Open Access journal, check whether it is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Only quality-checked titles from trusted publishers can be found here.
Potentially dubious journals, on the other hand, are included in the negative list Beall's List. Before submitting articles to journals listed there, we strongly advise you to check your selection very carefully.
Predatory Conferences
With the emergence of fraudulent behavior in the publishing industry, many rogue publishers have expanded their business models to make additional profits from predatory conferences. At first glance, such conferences may appear to be serious and scientifically based events, but it soon becomes clear that they do not offer any scientific added value. These conferences are organized by companies whose only goal is to make money with the conference fees – moderators and participants are exploited.
A checklist that can help you to recognise if a conference is a dubious one can be found at Think.Check.Attend..
Consulting and Training Offers
If you would like to deal with the topic more intensively, then take part in one of our courses:
If you have become suspicious of the lists, our Open Access Team will be happy to do more in-depth investigations for you.
