Predatory publishers can be identified by their deliberate actions aimed at deceiving or causing harm, and they should not be confused with reputable publishers that provide honest services. The types outlined on this page are not mutually exclusive; a predatory operation may exhibit multiple characteristics simultaneously.
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Imposter/ Hijacker Poses as a well-established journal or a publication affiliated with a well-known brand or society. Warning Signs: These journals often tack on an extra word to an existing journal name such as "Advances", "Review" or " Reports" or create websites that appear to be affiliated with another publication. Check Retraction Watch Hijacked Journals Checker (Google sheet) for a list of known imposters. |
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Phisher Lures you in with promises then charges large fees after your paper has been accepted. Persistent phishers may demand payment even though no paperwork has been signed and no promises made. Warning Signs: Publication fees are not clearly stated or easy to find; may aggressively recruit through emails and mailing lists. |
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Papermill Mass production of subpar work made to order, often through machine learning or plagiarism. Unlike other predators, papermills are meant to deceive readers and editors, not authors. Warning Signs: Authorship is purchased. The authors may have little or no experience related to the subject being published. |
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Trojan Horse Has a seemingly legitimate and impressive website, but upon closer scrutiny, it becomes evident that appearances are deceiving. The journals are either empty facades or, even worse, filled with stolen, plagiarized, or nonsensical articles. Warning Signs: Hard to identify. Publication history, frequency, and article quality should be examined
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Unicorn Unicorn publishers may make enticing claims of services like speedy peer review, database indexing, and high-impact factors. Still, these promises often prove too good to be true as they fail to deliver on their commitments. Warning Signs: Intentionally misleading about their services. |
Adapted from "Types of Predators" by Megan N. O'Donnell licensed under CC BY 4.0. Icons from Icons8.
A few ways to check if a journal is legitimate are:
If you have any questions about selecting an open access journal, please contact a librarian.
