What is an example of a predatory journal?

Here is a side-by-side example of two journals. One is the well-respected British Medical Journal (BMJ). The other is the British Journal of Medical and Health Research (BJMHR), a predatory journal that mimics the BMJ.

How do you know if a journal is predatory?

What are the characteristics of a predatory journal?

Predatory journals are open-access medical journals that publish articles online with little or no peer review, low academic standards, and little credibility. They exist to publish scholarly journal articles for authors who require publications for their curricula vitae.

What happens if you publish in a predatory journal?

But as well as damaging the reputations of both researchers and institutions, having work published in these journals, potentially without peer review, calls into question the legitimacy of the work. This compromises its usefulness, leading to the loss or marginalisation of the research.

Are all paid journals predatory?

Simply put, reputable journals provide all of the following things, and predatory journals don't. A reputable scholarly journal provides some form of adequate and qualified review, whether that be peer, editorial, or institutional review.

The Problem of Predatory Journals

Is Frontiers a predatory journal?

In 2015, Frontiers Media was classified as a possible predatory publisher by Jeffrey Beall, though Beall's list was taken offline two years later in a decision that remains controversial.

Which of the following is a red flag for identifying a predatory journal?

Unclear or deceptive publishing fees and copyright policies. Fake names are listed on the editorial staff. Names of prominent scholars are included as editors without the knowledge or consent of these individuals. Published articles are plagiarized, completely fake, are scientifically unsound, or low quality.

Is PLoS one considered predatory?

No, PLoS One is definitely NOT a predatory journal. It is different from other academic journals, in that the explicit goal is for submissions to be reviewed for rigor rather than for impact or citability.

Why do authors publish in predatory journals?

A review of the limited literature on author motivations highlighted 2 main reasons authors opt for predatory journals: lack of awareness about a journal's dubious reputation. unethical motivations, including incentives tied to career advancement and disillusionment with traditional academic publishing.

What is the warning signs that a journal or publisher is predatory?

Warning Signs: Editors and Editorial/Review Boards

The publisher is listed as an editor across all its journals. There is no editorial or review board or the review board is too small (varies). Editor and board member affiliation, qualifications, and or specialization is not disclosed.

How do you deal with predatory journals?

If a submitted paper has been accepted by a predatory journal, you should never sign a copyright agreement with the journal or publisher. In some cases, writing to the journal to withdraw the submitted or accepted manuscript before its publication may also be successful.

Who are the victims of predatory journals?

First-time authors are particularly vulnerable because they may be unaware of these journals, but experienced authors have been victims as well. Here's what you need to know about predatory journals and how to protect yourself.

What are the tools to identify predatory journals?

You should always check whether a journal you want to publish in is telling the truth. If a journal is indexed by JCR or/and DOAJ, that is usually a very good indicator that the journal is not predatory. Searching DOAJ database is quite easy – you just need to enter the journal's name, ISSN or the journal's publisher.

How to differentiate between the reliable journals and predatory journals?

One of the main differences between predatory journals and serious scientific journals is that predatory journals largely do without editorial or quality control measures.

How to identify a predatory journal pretend to be legitimate?

How do you avoid predatory journals?

The websites of predatory journals will try to mimic high quality journals. Common markers to spot predatory journals include no detail of the peer review process, unclear fees, no or fake editorial boards and lies about indexing. More help on this later.

Do journals blacklist authors?

Editors do ask for individual contributions of authors in designing manuscript. The journal can blacklist guest or ghost authors [12].

Is it bad to publish in PLOS ONE?

Many journals select on perceived impact, as judged by editors at a particular moment in time. By publishing all rigorous research, regardless of novelty, PLOS ONE lets the research speak for itself and its impact be judged by the entire academic community.

Are any Elsevier journals predatory?

Elsevier consistently prioritizes mega-profits over scholarship. Too many examples to list, would need new server, so here is some more. Elsevier published nine fake journals.

Is PLOS ONE a credible journal?

PLOS ONE is a peer reviewed scientific journal with a rigorous editorial screening and assessment process made up of several stages.

How do you identify a predatory publisher?

Is it alright to use predatory journals in a research paper?

Predatory journals use tactics that sway unsuspecting researchers, who are often under pressure to publish papers in high numbers. Publishing an article in a predatory journal affects your reputation as a researcher, and is a waste of your time and effort.

Do predatory journals have ISSN number?

Usually list an ISSN, but an ISSN is not a guarantee of quality or validity of contents. And, unscrupulous publishers have been known to make up an ISSN. Often send out mass emails soliciting for articles or people to serve as editors or peer reviewers.

How reputable is Frontiers?

In 2022, Frontiers was the 3rd most-cited publisher with an average of 5 citations for recent articles published with us. Analysis of the world's 20 largest publishers by volume, ranked by average number of citations in 2022 received by articles published in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (Dimensions, 2023).

Is Frontiers better than MDPI?

Frontiers, same but different

There are some differences though. For example, Frontiers publishes papers fast, but slower than MDPI, it has a higher reliance on the Chinese market than MDPI, it charges higher APCs than MDPI, and its journals are slightly better ranked than those of MDPI.