Article processing charges (APCs) for open accesscan amount to up to £4000 for a single article, therefore attracting the attention of those who wish to exploit authors and institutions. Yet, it's sometimeshardto distinguish between agenuine journal or publisher and a 'predatory' one. Some appear to be genuine, while newly establishedpublishers or journals can appear to be 'predatory'.
There have been a number of guides to help authors assess a publisher or journal's status, such as Beall's list (no longer maintained), but there is no single reliable or comprehensive source of information.The Think Check Submit campaign was developed by publishers and information professional bodies to help researchers identify trusted publishing sources.
You should take steps toverify the credentials of aprospective journal and publisher before submitting yourmanuscript. The Think Check Submit guidance - see in particularthe Checklist- will help you independently assess whethera journal operates according to robust scholarly practice.
Some 'predatory' journals and publishers are known to employ aggressive tactics when soliciting material for publication, often targeting early career researchers and doctoral researchers byoffering to 'publish' dissertations or theses for free, but do not offer genuine publishing services or peer review to academic standards.
Others may emulate existing publishing models, by charging authors and institutions for open access publication and appear to be genuine by choosing very similar titles to established journals, populated withfreely available open access articles in their titles.
If you have concerns about whether a journal or publisher is reputable or genuine, or is right for your research, please contact Open Access for advice.
Resources to help you assess whether a journal is reputable or genuine
Genuine journals should have a named editor and editorial board, with full and traceable contact details,be peer-reviewed, and publish information on charges, procedures, copyright and licences openly on their website. For other resources which can help you check whether a publisher is genuine, see the listand links below.
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)- list of verified open accessjournals which meet theDOAJ's criteria.
Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (JCR) -Journal Impact Factor (IF), whileflawed, and is not used by the University and other signatories of DORA to evaluate research quality, canbe used responsibly, to help you judge a journal's scope, reputation and audience and whether it is new or established, and therefore more likely to be aligned with the intended readership. However, the IF should only be used alongside other qualitative checks, including reviewing a journal's editorial board and policies. It is easy for a predatory journal to generate a high IF simply by republishing already published research, or simply a small number of highly-cited works.For access, go to theLibrary databases web page.
Resources to help you assess whether a publisher is reputable or genuine
A genuine publisher is generally expected to follow basic publishing good practice standards and may belong to one or more of the following:
Are they a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)?Members are expected to follow a code of conduct for journal editors and are provided with access topublications ethicstraining. Search by member (Editor-in-Chief) or by publisher to view a list of journals.
Are they a member of the International Association of STM (Scientific, Technical and Medical)Publishers? Members publish over 60% of all journal articles and are expected to follow high professional and ethical standards.
If they are anopen access publisher, are they a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA)?Members are bound by a code of conduct and membership criteria based on standard publishing practices and transparency.
Download our guide 'Choosing a genuine journal publisher', linked below.
Genuine journals should have a named editor and editorial board, with full and traceable contact details, be peer-reviewed, and publish information on charges, procedures, copyright and licences openly on their website.
Peer review may be poor or non-existent. Editorial board membership information may be incorrect. (People may be listed there without their knowledge.) Information about publishing costs or article processing charges may be misleading.
The journal does not have clear policies on retraction, corrections/errata, or plagiarism (see the ICMJE Recommendations for more detailed discussion about best practices)
States the journal is completely open access but not all articles are openly available. No way to access articles (no information on open access or how to subscribe). No policies for digital preservation. The journal has a poorly written copyright policy and/or transfer form that does not actually transfer copyright.
If you publish your research in a predatory journal, you face these potential consequences: Damage to your reputation and career. Wasted time, effort, and money. Loss of your research and scholarship.
Predatory journals have become a major problem for the academic community. They are produced by unscrupulous publishers in order to make money without providing the services you would expect from a genuine journal, such as proper peer review and editing services.
Check if the journal is indexed in Scopus or Web of Science. In a situation where the journal you are looking for is not indexed in the above databases, you must independently analyze the content of its official website to assess whether there is a risk that you are dealing with a predatory journal.
Penzu keeps your journals safe with double password protection and military strength encryption so you can rest easy knowing that your entries are secure in the Penzu Vault.
Resources to help you assess whether a journal is reputable or genuine. Genuine journals should have a named editor and editorial board, with full and traceable contact details, be peer-reviewed, and publish information on charges, procedures, copyright and licences openly on their website.
The information should be up to date and current. The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching. The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased. For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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