A predatory publisher is an entity that masquerades as a legitimate academic publisher, offering various journals solely to collect publication fees, without adhering to scholarly quality standards, such as peer review. There are various directories that list journals from such deceptive publishers.
There are various directories that list journals from such deceptive publishers.
These directories are not necessarily comprehensive: it is important to verify information through cross-referencing and using multiple sources.
Online tools to assist in the evaluation of journals:
Think, Check, Submit: a checklist of questions (available in English and French) to evaluate Open Access journals.
Compass to Publish: developed by the University of Liège to help determine whether a journal is legitimate or predatory. This tool does not provide APC amounts or assess content quality. It applies only to Open Access journals requiring APCs.
For further information, the University of Geneva’s webpages on predatory publishers provide useful insights.