Guides: Open Access and Publishing: Predatory Journals & Conferences

What are predatory publishers & predatory conferences?

Have you received an unsolicited invitation to submit your research to a conference or a journal? This could be a predatory journal or a conference.

Predatory publishers send unsolicited invitations to authors/researchers/students/faculties...

A consensus definition of predatory publishing is

Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices (Grudniewicz et al., 2019).

If you are not sure of the authenticity or credibility of a publisher or journal, please be cautious and ask yourself these questions

Does the journal look legit to you? Do they provide clear scope?
Are the editorial or board members clearly listed? Are those listed members subject experts?
Does the journal clearly address its peer-review process?
What impact metrics is the journal list? Do they look legit?
Are they clear about the article processing charge?
Do they list their past issues in journals? Go through the past articles and program details to see if the published information is copy-edited and looks neat.

If you are not sure of the authenticity or credibility of a conference, please be cautious and ask yourself

Is the conference hosted by a university, a well-known organization or a research organization?
Do you know anyone who may have attended this conference or has someone in your field heard of this?
Is this an annual event? Check their previous program, speakers, and abstracts.
Did they mention anything about the peer review process for submissions?