UTEP Library Research Guides: How to Avoid Predatory Publishers: Home

Why should you avoid predatory publishers

There are several potential problems with predatory journals:

They might not publish your article at all
If they do, they might not archive it
People might not read it
- There is so much scholarly literature out there, people aren't going to waste their time with journals where the only requirement is money
If people don't read it, people do not cite it
It does not look good in your tenure/promotion packet

Ask your colleagues what they think of the journal

Look at journal evaluating sources like Cabell's Journalytics and Scimago Journal Ranking

Gives you a good Statistics-at-a-Glance of the journal

Do they publish regularly? Once a year? Every week?

Disadvantage:
- This is not a disqualifier on its own. Lots of societies don’t publish regularly. But combined with other problems, it is not a journal you want to use.

Google the journal name. Make sure the website they’re using is the right one.

Predatory journals have hijacked established journals.
- If you want to double check, look at predatoryjournals.com/hijacked

Instead of entirely copying a successful journal, some use VERY similar titles

One fake journal copied the real Multiple Sclerosis Journal with the Journal of Multiple Sclerosis.

Are these people of interest in the field?

Double check that the listed editors mention their editorship

Where can you find it? What databases at least show the abstract?

If any databases carry it, they will say. Then doublecheck those databases that they do carry it.

There are lists of journals and publishers that have agreed to follow certain ethical codes. Do any relevant lists have the journal?

A starter list
- COPE – https://publicationethics.org – All academic journals
- DOAJ – https://doaj.org – Open Access journals
- OASPA – https://oaspa.org/ – Open Access journals
- WAME – https://www.wame.org/ – Medical journals

Look back at the disqualifying steps and work from there