Methods to Identify the Predatory

Journals

Presented By:
Kapil Sharma
Ph.D. Schloar
Electrical & Electronics
(EEE) Engg. Deptt.
 What is a predatory journal?
A predatory journal is an
opportunistic publishing venue that
exploits the academic need to publish
but offers little reward for those
using their services.
The "publish or perish" scenario
combined with the relative ease of
launching online journals has
inadvertently created a market ripe for
the exploitation of researchers.
Some journals are predatory on
purpose, while others may make
mistakes due to neglect,
mismanagement, or inexperience.
While the motivations and methods vary,
predatory journals have a number of
common characteristics:
• Their primary goal is to make money
(i.e. there will be APC fees).
• They do not care about the quality of
the work published (i.e. no or little
editing or peer-review).
• They make false claims or promises
(i.e. claims of impact factors and
indexing).
• They engage in unethical business
practices
• They fail to follow accepted standards
or best practices of scholarly
publishing
Predatory Publishing–How the scam works
Predatory journals exploit a new publishing
model by claiming to be a legitimate open-
access operation.
Online predatory publishers take advantage
of the Gold Open Access model. Under this
model Article Processing Charges (APCs)
provide publishers with income instead of
subscription fees.
It's important to realize that being Open
Access does not make a journal
predatory, their behavior does.
Predatory journals make false claims (such
as quick peer-review) to lure unwary
authors into submitting papers.
While sending a predatory journal a
manuscript may see it "published" there is
no guarantee that it underwent peer review,
is included in indexes like Web of Science
(WoS) and Scopus, or that it will be
available in a month much less in five
years.
 Predatory Publishing – What’s the harm?
Predatory journals do researchers a
disservice by claiming to be a reputable
outlet for publication. Authors are
providing a valuable product and
legitimate journals provide valuable
services to protect their work.
Some of the dangers of publishing
within a predatory journal include:
Work may be subject to sub-par
peer-review
The peer-review system isn't perfect but
papers that undergo peer-review are better for
it. Researchers planning to seek promotion
want to make sure they are publishing in a
place that values their work and is willing to
devote time and resources to improving it.
Work could disappear
One of the advantages of publishing with a
reputable journal is that they make
commitments to preserve your work.
Opportunists looking to make a quick buck
are not going to care if your paper is still
available in 5 years, much less tomorrow.
Work will be hard to find
Some predatory journals advertise that
they are included in well-known
databases like Web of Science, Scopus,
or Cabells when they are not. While
most predatory journals will probably
be covered by Google Scholar your
work won't be as visible if it's missing
from other research databases.
 Predatory Reports: Purpose

Predatory Reports is the only searchable

database that identifies deceptive and
fraudulent journals. Specialists identify
and analyze 74 behavioral indicators to
flag potentially exploitative or dishonest
operations.

Each entry includes information on how

to identify the journal in the real world
and as well as a comprehensive report of
each behavioral indicator that was
uncovered in the journal’s evaluation.
 Predatory Reports: Features
Behavioral Indicators
Each journal is examined against 70+
behavioral indicators, screening for
everything from misleading metrics to
irregular publication practices.
Objectivity
Our criteria-based methodology, informed by
industry expertise and community support,
objectively evaluates whether a journal is
blacklisted.
Transparency
A complete record of when, what and why a
journal is put on Predatory Reports gives
users the ability to see deceptive behaviors
first-hand and to make clear and safe
decisions.
Community Effort
The academic community is an integral part
of the solution. We welcome any tips, leads or
suggestions in identifying specific fraudulent
operations or behaviors. Let us know here.
Evolving Criteria
We actively monitor for trends in deceptive
practices, include new criteria and develop
more ways to identify fraudulent behaviors.
Searchable Database
Access a searchable database of journals our
specialists have flagged as probable threats,
with detailed reports identifying the specific
predatory behaviors that the evaluation
revealed.
 Predatory Reports: Features

Misconduct Reports
Our evaluative process is thoroughly
documented. In every report, we
categorize and detail each violation
and provide a transparent view of the
investigated journal.
 Predatory Reports: Selection criteria

• Over 70 behavioral indicators

• Use our selection criteria to create a rubric, used to evaluate journals
• Each indicator is weighted based on how closely it relates to deception
• Behaviors that directly indicate deception are weighted very heavily
• Behaviors that are commonly seen in deceptive journals are weighted
lightly
• Weighting was specifically designed to not flag journals for The Blacklist
that are simply new, inexperienced, or incompetent.

http://www2.cabells.com/selection-policy
 Methods to Identify The Predatory Journals

Open the Compass to Publish Online Tool for Identifying Predatory

Journals
Entering Title and ISSN of Journal 
Check Whether Your Journal DOAJ Indexed or Not
Is the journal hosted on one of the Open Access platforms below ?
Is the Publisher or the Journal a Member of OASPA ?
Is the publisher or the journal a member of COPE ?
 Is the journal published by a well-known publisher?
Does the publisher have a strangely similar name to another
Publisher? 
Indexing and Metrics 
Does the journal have the registered trademark “Impact Factor” (Clarivate Analytics TM)?
 Is
the journal really included in the various databases
mentioned on its website?
Checking Editorial Board and Peer Review Process
Communication Strategies 
 
Do you repeatedly get unsolicited email (spam) from the journal/publisher?