Predatory Magazines: What Are They and How to Avoid Them?

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Over the past few years, the number of journals that engage in unscrupulous activities in the scientific publishing sphere has increased several times. This has become a serious problem for the global academic community. “Predatory journals” pose as scientific journals, but are in fact fraudsters. Let's consider the main types of predatory publications and the signs by which you can recognize unscrupulous journals.

Predatory Magazines: What Are They and How to Avoid Them?

What are “predatory journals”?
Predatory journals are publications that pose as reputable scientific journals on page seo service but in fact do not adhere to scientific ethics and academic publishing standards.




These publications pose as scientific journals, but their purpose is not related to the advancement of science. The main motivation of such journals is to make a profit from publication fees without providing peer review and publication of articles.

Types of “predatory” publications
All unscrupulous publications are divided into three main categories:

Predatory journals are publications that once had a good reputation in the scientific field and were included in global scientometric databases such as Scopus. However, over time, having violated academic standards and ethical principles, they lost their status and were excluded from these databases
clone publications are journals that imitate the external features of existing scientific publications. They often copy the titles, format, and style of well-known scientific journals in order to mislead authors. The main purpose of such publications is to receive publication fees, while the peer review process is either absent or reduced to a formality
Fake journals are pseudo-publications that pose as legitimate scientific journals but do not actually adhere to scientific standards or conduct proper peer review. These journals often use catchy titles and false impact factors to attract scientists, but their primary purpose is to make money from publication fees, not to advance science.
How to recognize a “predator”?
Here are the most characteristic signs of predatory journals:

Lack of peer review is the first and clear sign of fraud in the scientific publishing sphere
rapid acceptance of scientific papers for publication: top-rated publications usually have a queue of materials for publication several months in advance. Remember that publication in high-rated publications within a few days or weeks is impossible
Excessively high or too low publication fees are one of the main signs of an unscrupulous publication
Content quality. Review articles previously published in the journal. If the content does not meet academic standards, it may be a sign of a low-quality journal.
lack of indexing in the scientometric databases Scopus and Web of Science
The journal is on the Beall's List of unscrupulous publications. The list includes publications that do not adhere to ethical standards in the scientific publishing environment.
publication of articles that show signs of plagiarism or self-plagiarism
Unrealistic promises: Predatory journals often promise rapid publication, high visibility and citations, but in reality, articles are published without peer review or not at all.
How to Avoid Publishing in Predatory Journals? Advice for Scientists
Check the publication before sending an article to the editor. Carefully read the journal's website, its activities, previous issues, and also check the scientific journal for indexing in global databases such as Web of Science and Scopus.
Research the editorial board. The editorial boards of reputable journals usually include well-known and respected scientists. If the editorial board composition is questionable or information about the editors is missing, this may be a warning sign.
Pay attention to publication fees and requirements. Reliable journals will have reasonable and clearly stated publication fees, if any. However, if a journal requires unreasonably high fees or additional fees at every stage, this is a reason to doubt the publication.
Contact a scientific consulting company for help. Experts in science and scientometrics will help you choose a suitable publication and make the publication visible to a wide range of researchers.
The company "Scientific Publications" has been providing services to scientists from more than 45 countries for over 8 years. We are trusted by scientists from the faculty of leading universities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. With us, you can order a service for publication in journals included in the Scopus or Web of Science database . To receive a free consultation regarding the publication process, leave a request in the form below.