Predatory Journals, Publishers and Conferences

Predatory Journals benefit from the authors by asking them to publish them for a fee, without providing refereeing or editing services. Because predatory publishers do not follow the appropriate academic standards for publishing, they often offer a quick turnaround in the publication of an article.

To find an open-access journal to publish articles:

• DOAJ - Directory of Open Access Journals

To find a list of potential predatory publishers:

• Beall's List of Predatory Journals and Publishers
• List of Predatory Journals

To determine the credibility of a journal or to identify trusted journals:

• Journal Evaluation Tool
• Think. Check. Submit
• Cabells Predatory Reports Criteria

Predatory Conferences are organized as legitimate scientific conferences but they do not provide proper editorial control on presentations. These conferences may be poorly organized and typically do not offer peer review, or they may not actually take place at all.

Recent data shows that predatory conferences now outnumber so-called legitimate conferences. Contrary to what most academics believe, not all predatory conferences are small, poorly-organized, and organized by fly-by-night organizations. In order to ensure that they make profits, a decent organization is usually set-up. One telltale sign of a predatory conference is that low-quality research is often presented alongside research by famous academics. However, there are various other signs as well.

For more information:

• Tips on How to Identify and Avoid Predatory Conferences: A checklist of questions to consider before registering for a conference.
• Think. Check. Attend: This is an organization that helps researchers and academics decide whether the conference is legitimate or not. Think. Check. Attend provides guidelines for researchers to help them identify predatory conferences.