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Predatory Publishing/Conferences

Predatory publishing and conferences refer to unscrupulous and fraudulent practices in the academic publishing and conference sectors. These involve promoting publications or conferences for purely commercial reasons. Essential standards such as quality assurance, peer review, and long-term archiving are not upheld, so predatory publishing and conferences should be avoided.

Below you will find criteria you can use to assess the legitimacy of academic offerings. Please note that criteria may be discipline-specific and are subject to change due to evolving publication practices and offerings. No single criterion is decisive for assessing the legitimacy of an offering; rather, it is the overall impression of all criteria that counts.

How can I tell if a journal is reputable? 

  • Transparent peer review process: clearly described (e.g., double-blind or single-blind), realistic timelines
  • Recognized indexing: e.g., DOAJ for OA journals or subject-specific databases
  • Verifiable editorial boards: Editors and program directors with verifiable profiles; commitment to the journal listed on their personal institutional websites
  • Transparent costs & licenses: Costs and licenses (e.g., CC BY) listed and clearly explained
  • Standards: DOI assignment (e.g., via Crossref/DataCite), long-term archiving, complete legal notice/copyright information.

Warning Signs of Predatory Publishing

  • Spam invitations: “48-hour Fast Track,” “Special Issue Guest Editor” with no relevance to the field
  • Non-transparent or absent peer review process: few concrete details about the review process, unrealistic review timelines
  • Unclear or hidden fees: costs listed only in the fine print, retroactive “processing fees”
  • Missing or questionable indexing: not listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); stated Journal Impact Factor (JIF) not included in Clarivate’s Journal Citation Report (indication of a fabricated JIF); dubious impact metrics such as “Global Impact Factor,” “Index Copernicus”
  • Questionable editorial boards: Members do not list their role/involvement on institutional websites
  • Unknown or deceptively similar journal: the journal is unknown to you and your professional network; the journal’s name or website mimics established titles
  • “Scope-hopping”: the journal inconsistently claims to cover “all or very broad disciplines”; the journal’s title is very broadly defined
  • Technical/organizational shortcomings: faulty website, no legal notice, changing domains
  • Journal hijacking: counterfeit websites, hijacked domains, apparent online versions of purely print journals; international website for a journal that is published only in a specific national language
  • Negative reviews can be found: Search for “predatory journal + name”

Warning Signs of Predatory Conferences

  • Spam invitations: often accompanied by quick acceptance offers or invitations to give keynote speeches
  • Lack of transparency or absence of a peer-review process: few concrete details about the review process, unrealistic review timelines
  • Unclear or hidden fees: exceptionally high conference fees, costs listed only in the fine print
  • Lack of indexing: proceedings cannot be found, or previous papers are not indexed
  • Questionable committees: members do not list their roles or involvement on institutional websites
  • Unknown conference with no reputation in the field: the conference is unknown to you and your professional network; the name or website mimics established conferences
  • “Scope-hopping”: conference title is very broad to appeal to many disciplines; for example, it uses the names of well-known Nobel laureates without any thematic connection
  • Technical/organizational shortcomings: faulty website, no legal notice, changing domains
  • Strong focus on the social program/tourism (e.g., “conference cruises,” a vacation-like atmosphere on-site)
  • Negative reviews can be found by searching for “predatory conference + name”.

5-Minute Checklist Before Submission

  • Is the journal/conference listed in recognized indexes?
  • Can the members of the governing bodies (e.g., editorial board, program chairs, steering committees) be verified?
  • Are the peer review process and policies (ethics, retractions, copyright) clearly documented?
  • Are costs (APC, BPC; conference fees) and licenses transparent and understandable?
  • Do the website, legal notice, and contact information appear reputable?

Contact 

We can advise you on all questions related to predatory publishing/conferences—even if you have already inadvertently submitted to, published with, or participated in such a provider: open-access@fu-berlin.de.

 

Further Information