Open Access @ UCC: Predatory Publishing

Sharing research results with the world is key to the progress of your discipline and career but with so many publications, how can you be sure you can trust a particular journal?

Follow this checklist to make sure you choose trusted journals and publishers for your research.

Think. Check. Submit. helps researchers identify trusted journals and publishers for their research. Through a range of tools and practical resources, this international, cross-sector initiative aims to educate researchers, promote integrity, and build trust in credible research and publications.

Sharing research results with the world is key to the progress of your discipline and career but with so many publications, how can you be sure you can trust a particular journal? Follow this checklist to make sure you choose trusted journals and publishers for your research.

Are you submitting your research to a trusted journal or publisher?
Is it the right journal or book for your work?

Use our checklists to assess the journal or publisher

Submit only if you can answer ‘Yes’ to the questions in our checklists.

Credit:  https://thinkchecksubmit.org/

What is a predatory publisher?

The term 'predatory publisher' is generally applied to publishers that charge authors substantial fees to publish their research but do not provide quality services (e.g. peer-review, editing, and marketing). These publishers will often send unsolicited emails to authors inviting them to submit a publication to their journal or conference. Predatory publishers usually have poor-quality peer-review processes (or no process at all), low editorial standards, and are usually not indexed in scholarly databases.

Here are a few signs of a predatory publisher to watch out for:

• Unsolicited emails: predatory publishers will often send flattering emails to authors asking them to contribute to a journal or conference.
• Strange titles: Journal or conference titles may sounds similar to legitimate publications, or may use vague terms.
• Unprofessional websites: Predatory publishers often have websites that look unprofessional and don't include all the information you would expect to see on a publisher's website.
• Indexing: Their journals will usually not be indexed in major databases, like Scopus or Web of Science. Journals often have no metrics available, or metrics that are false.
• Peer review: The peer-review process may not be explained to authors, and is often very quick or there may be no review process at all.
• Publishing fees: Predatory publishers sometimes charge extremely high publication fees and are usually not transparent about their fees or policies.

If you are not sure if a publisher is predatory or not, check out the libraries journals listing or ask one of the library staff members by emailing cora@ucc.ie .