Information Literacy Toolbox for Faculty

What are predatory journals?

Predatory journals are an issue that is unfortunately on the rise  in higher education. This ugly and exploitive trend finds predatory journals enlisting scholars to submit their work for quick publication and preys on the pressures to publish often associated with tenure and promotion.

These questionable open-access publications often promise peer-review with a quick turn-around time for publication, but do not deliver on the legitimate and rigorous process that is expected.

Why does it matter?

The costs are substantial as the journals ask for significant fees to be paid and can hold work hostage as a result of copyright acquisition. This is problematic on so many levels, particularly for Faculty who may lose their copyright and mar their reputation for associating with questionable publications.

What do I do?

Some of these outfits are very sophisticated and can make it difficult to distinguish their practices from the real thing; even Web of Science noted that some questionable publications were able to slip past their screening process, so please beware.

Identifying these predators is not a cut and dry process, but there are some red flags to help warn us away:

•    quick turn-around time for publication

•    vocabulary and grammar oddities

•    presence on Beall’s List

Advice:

Check Beall's list and trust your gut!

Beall's list:   https://scholarlyoa.com/publishers/