Predatory publishing refers to unethical publishers and journals that exploit researchers by charging publication fees without providing the quality editorial and peer-review services expected of legitimate academic outlets. These publishers often use deceptive practices such as fake impact factors, aggressive solicitation emails, and little to no quality control.
Understanding how to recognize and avoid predatory journals is critical for protecting your reputation, ensuring your work reaches the right audience, and contributing to the integrity of scholarly communication. This guide will help you identify red flags, make informed decisions about where to publish, and safeguard your academic contributions.
Deceptive Publishing (Article)
Journal Evaluation Tool (guide when deciding if a journal is legitimate or predatory)
Keeping Up With Predatory Publishing (Article)
Potentially Predatory Scholarly Open Access Publishers (Bealls)
Predatory Journals: What Are They & How To Avoid Them (Article)
If you’ve been contacted by a publisher—whether as an author or an editor—and you’re unsure about its legitimacy or suspect it may be predatory, please reach out to Mardene Carr, Chief Librarian, at chieflibrarian@ucc.edu.jm for guidance.
This guide is intended to provide information about predatory publishing and is intended as a guide only. Deciding where to publish is solely the responsibility of individual authors.
