Evaluate a journal's credentials before submitting your manuscript.
Positive Indicators:
- Journal is published by an academic publisher or professional association.
- Journal has clearly defined peer review process.
- Journal editors are experts in the field.
- Journal is indexed in major databases (easy to check: all library databases allow you to browse by journal title)
- Scope of journal is clearly defined.
Predatory publishers:
Predatory journals are usually Open Access, but not all Open Access journals are predatory. A journal is considered predatory when it charges publication fees but does not provide adequate peer review or editorial and publishing support.
Before submitting an article for publication, verify:
- Is this a journal you would cite? Do they publish quality articles?
- Does the journal have an ISSN, and do its articles have DOIs?
- Does the publisher explain their peer review process, and is the turn around time reasonable?
- Is the scope and purpose of the journal clearly defined, and appropriate to your research?
