What Is a Predatory Journal?
A predatory journal is a fraudulent publication that exploits the open access publishing model by charging authors Article Processing Charges (APCs) while providing little or no legitimate peer review, editorial oversight, or quality control. Once you publish in a predatory journal, the damage to your academic reputation can be severe and difficult to reverse.
Predatory publishing has grown dramatically in the past decade. Thousands of fake or low-quality journals now operate, often mimicking the names and appearance of legitimate publications.
10 Red Flags: How to Identify a Predatory Journal
- Unsolicited spam emails — You receive a flattering, generic invitation to submit a paper or join the editorial board that is clearly mass-sent and unrelated to your research area
- Unrealistically fast peer review — The journal promises acceptance within days. Genuine peer review typically takes weeks to months
- Fake impact factor — The journal claims an "impact factor" from non-Clarivate sources (e.g. "Global Impact Factor", "Universal Impact Factor", "SJIF"). Real impact factors come only from Clarivate's JCR
- Not indexed in Scopus or Web of Science — Legitimate journals in most fields will be indexed in at least one major database. Verify directly at scopus.com/sources or mjl.clarivate.com
- Misleading journal name — Name closely mimics a prestigious journal (e.g. "International Journal of Science" vs "Science")
- No ISSN or fake ISSN — Check the ISSN at the official ISSN Portal. Predatory journals often list fake or mismatched ISSNs
- Suspicious editorial board — Names on the editorial board are fictitious, cannot be found online, or prominent researchers are listed without their knowledge
- Poor website quality — Broken links, grammatical errors, stock photo editors, no physical address, or contact only via free email services like Gmail
- Hidden or rapidly changing fees — The APC is not disclosed upfront and appears only after acceptance, or the fee increases unexpectedly
- No retraction policy — Legitimate journals have clear policies for correcting errors and retracting flawed articles. Predatory journals do not
Free Tools to Check if a Journal is Legitimate
| Tool | What It Checks | Free? |
|---|---|---|
| Think. Check. Submit. | Journal credibility checklist | ✅ Yes |
| DOAJ | Vetted open access journals | ✅ Yes |
| Scopus Sources | Scopus indexing status | ✅ Yes |
| Web of Science Master Journal List | WoS/JCR indexing status | ✅ Yes |
| Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker | Cloned/hijacked journals | ✅ Yes |
| Cabells Predatory Reports | Detailed predatory journal database | ❌ Institutional subscription |
| JournalsHub | Impact factor, Scopus/WoS status, APC | ✅ Yes |
Beall's List: What It Is and Its Limitations
Beall's List was a widely-cited blacklist of potentially predatory publishers and journals maintained by librarian Jeffrey Beall until 2017. While the original list was taken down, several mirror sites continue to host it.
Limitations: The list is outdated, has not been updated since 2017, includes legitimate journals that were incorrectly flagged, and misses thousands of predatory journals that appeared after 2017. Use it as one signal among many — not as a definitive verdict.
How to Verify a Journal in 5 Minutes
- Search the journal name on Scopus Sources — is it indexed?
- Check DOAJ — is it listed as a vetted open access journal?
- Look up the ISSN on the official ISSN Portal
- Google "[journal name] predatory" and read the first few results
- Check if any editorial board members are real, findable academics with matching expertise
What To Do If You've Already Published in a Predatory Journal
- Do not panic — it happens to many researchers, especially early-career
- Consider submitting the same research as a preprint to arXiv, bioRxiv, or SSRN to establish a citable, indexed version
- Be transparent in your CV — note that you are aware of the journal's status
- Contact your institution's research integrity office for guidance
- Some journals allow retraction by request — contact the editor, though response is unlikely
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a paid open access journal automatically predatory?
No. Many legitimate, highly-respected journals charge APCs (including PLOS Biology, Nature Communications, and journals published by Elsevier, Springer, Wiley). The key distinction is whether the journal provides genuine peer review and editorial quality control.
Can predatory journals have a real ISSN?
Yes. The ISSN organisation assigns numbers upon application and does not vet journal quality. A legitimate ISSN confirms the journal's existence, not its legitimacy.
Conclusion
The best defence against predatory journals is a quick verification habit before every submission. Use the JournalsHub journal search to check whether a journal is Scopus or WoS indexed, then cross-check with DOAJ and Think. Check. Submit. Five minutes of checking can protect years of research reputation.