Predatory Journal/Publisher Guide and Related Information

The “Predatory Journal guide and related information” is to help users to identify the predatory journals and publishers. The recommended listing is based solely on individual opinions and therefore do not necessarily represent the opinion of Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad (PSAS) or any authorised or organisation entity. Ultimately it is up to each author/ researcher to make the final decision on where to publish and to decide what they expect from the publishers.

Definition of Predatory Journal

Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have agreed a definition of predatory publishing that can protect scholarship 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.” (Agnes Grudniewics, et. al, 2018)  

Why is it Important to Identify Predatory Journals and Not to Publish in Them?

Publishing in a low-quality journals can make your research harder to find and less likely to be used by others. Because fraudulent or predatory journals are perceived to be low quality and untrustworthy, researchers in your field are less likely to browse those journals or read them on their own. There are many tools that can be used to identify fraudulent or predatory journals. Scopus for example, with its status as the largest index on the market, many universities are beginning  to require that their academicians and students to publish in journals featured in Scopus as a way to advertise their prestige as a university and also garner attention for new students and research funding.

Helpful Tips to Determine if a Journal or Publisher is Predatory

• Are there spelling or grammatical mistakes or other questionable characteristics on their website or in the solicitation email?
• Is the peer review process clearly stated on the website?
• Does the website clearly state the publishing fees?
• Is the journal indexed in databases that you use, such as MEDLINE for biomedical journals?
  • Note: not all journals with articles in PubMed are indexed for MEDLINE. To check if a journal is indexed for MEDLINE, check the journal’s page in the NLM Catalog—you can do this by following the link for journal in the article’s record in PubMed. If the NLM Catalog listing says the journal is “Currently indexed for MEDLINE,” this means that all articles published in this journal will appear in PubMed.
• Can you easily contact the publisher?
• Are the time-stamps of incoming emails consistent with the working hours of the reported country of origin?
• Does the phone number have the correct country code?
• Is the journal a member of the Committee on Publication and Ethics (COPE) or Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), or listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)?

Predatory Journals List

1. List of Predatory Journals
2. Beall’s List of Predatory Publishers
3. Beall’s List of Predatory Journals
4. Potential, possible, or probable predatory scholarly open-access journals

Free and Subscription Resources that may be Helpful for Identifying Predatory Journals

Other Useful Information On Predatory Journal 

Local and International University Library Guide and Related Information on Predatory Journal

Updated:: 08/06/2023 [j_mohdshahril]