Be iNFORMED Before You Publish: Spotting Predatory Journals

Have you received an unexpected email inviting you to publish in a journal? Or perhaps you’ve been asked to peer review for a publication you’ve never heard of. You’re not alone. Many researchers are regularly contacted by unfamiliar publishers—and while some invitations are legitimate, others may not be worth your time or your reputation.

With the continued rise of open access publishing and the “pay to publish” model, it’s more important than ever to evaluate journals before engaging with them. Open access can increase the visibility of your work, but it has also fueled the growth of predatory journals—publications that charge authors without providing meaningful editorial oversight or peer review (Nature 2019). The rapid proliferation of new journals makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish reputable publishers from unethical ones.

How to Spot a Predatory Journal (Based on Shamseer et al., 2017)
Common warning signs include:

  • Promises of unusually rapid publication
  • Little or no information about the peer review process
  • Aggressive or repeated email solicitations for manuscripts
  • Claims of false impact factors or use of nonstandard metrics
  • Indexing only in Google Scholar or PubMed Central (but not MEDLINE, Web of Science, or Scopus)
  • No affiliation with DOAJ, ICMJE, or COPE
  • Missing editor-in-chief information, listing fictitious editors, or naming editors without their consent
  • Requests to submit manuscripts via email rather than through a submission system 
  • Website content with spelling or grammatical errors
  • Website language focused on attracting authors rather than readers
  • No stated policy for retractions or corrections
  • Very low article processing charges (e.g., under $150 USD)
  • Open access journals that retain copyright or fail to mention copyright at all

Tools to Help You Evaluate Journals

Be iNFORMED: Developed by our library, this checklist guides you through key questions to assess a journal’s credibility:

  • Number – How many articles has the journal published? How often are they cited?
  • Fee – Is the publication fee reasonable and clearly stated? 
  • Ownership – Who owns and produces the journal?
  • Review – Is the content peer reviewed? How rigorous is the process?
  • Membership – Is the journal affiliated with scholarly associations or open access alliances e.g., member of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) or listed in DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)? 
  • EDitorial – Who serves on the editorial board and staff? (Tip: Search for names of editorial members on university websites or academic databases to verify authenticity)

Think. Check. Submit. This international checklist helps researchers evaluate unfamiliar journals and publishers. Although designed for authors selecting publication venues, many of its criteria—such as transparency, editorial board quality, and peer review practices—are equally useful when deciding whether a journal is reputable enough to review for.

Whether you're considering publishing your work or reviewing someone else’s, these tools can help you make informed decisions and protect the integrity of your scholarship.

Learn more: 

 
Need help evaluating a journal? Contact the Medical Center Library at medical-librarian@duke.edu — we’re here to help!

How to Spot a Predatory Journal