How to check for ‘predatory’ journals?
Key indicators of the legitimacy of newly launched OA journals are:
- Entry in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) – journals must meet strict criteria to qualify
- Publisher’s membership of Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA) – members are bound by a code of conduct based on standard publishing practices and transparency
- Publisher’s membership of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – membership demonstrates commitment to widely accepted publishing practices
- Publisher’s membership of the International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM) – membership demonstrates commitment to widely accepted publishing practices
- Named editor and editorial board – recognised experts in their field who include their editorial commitment on their own research profiles
- Full contact details (email, postal address, working telephone number)
- Visibility of costs associated with publishing
Legitimate journals acknowledge their newly formed status and do not attempt to feign reputation by referring to false Impact Factors or inclusion of content in indexing and abstracting services.
Jeffery Beall, a librarian at Auraria Library, University of Colorado Denver, Colorado, provides a comphensive list of criteria which authors may use to identify potential predatory OA publishers. He also maintains lists of potential, possible, or probable predatory OA publishers and journals.