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Research Publishing for Academics: Predatory Publishers

A Libguide from MIT to assist its academics with Research Publishing

Predatory Publishers

Predatory publishers are those journals take the money from the academic, and don’t do any review, and then put the article out.
There a a number of problems with useing predatory publishers:

  • The item won’ be cited
  • it won’t be linked
  • itwon’t be able to be found.
  • The professional reputation of the researcher using the predatory publisher may be tarnished


The end result is the research work won't be found or used, so it is almost like it doesn't exist. Predatory publishers themselves are only publishing in order to make money for themselves - they may charge the author to submit work, or otherwise charge subscriptions for their journals and make money out of it by doing quick publications.

Salient features of potential predatory biomed journals (this list of ways to stop is sourced from Beals List, a noted anti predatory Journals effort)

Although the list pertains biomed journals, it can be easily applied to all other topics.

  1. The scope of interest includes non-biomedical subjects alongside biomedical topics.
  2. The website contains spelling and grammar errors.
  3. Images are distorted/fuzzy, intended to look like something they are not, or which are unauthorized.
  4. The homepage language targets authors.
  5. The Index Copernicus Value is promoted on the website.
  6. Description of the manuscript handling process is lacking.
  7. Manuscripts are requested to be submitted via email.
  8. Rapid publication is promised.
  9. There is no retraction policy.
  10. Information on whether and how journal content will be digitally preserved is absent.
  11. The Article processing/publication charge is very low (e.g., < $150 USD).
  12. Journals claiming to be open access either retain copyright of published research or fail to mention copyright.
  13. The contact email address is non-professional and non-journal affiliated (e.g., @gmail.com or @yahoo.com).

List due to Shamseer, et al., BMC Medicine 15:28 (2017).

Beals List - A list of predatory publishers
Beals List was a blacklist of predatory Journals, what was active until 2020 when Beal himself closed it down. If you have a journal title that you are considering is suspect, you can check it on one of the successor lists.  There are a number of successor lists for this, including Cabells, a paid service and the successor to Beals, The Beals list of Potential Predatory Journals and Publishers

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