Sometimes called predatory, problematic journals are those published by disreputable organizations who have taken advantage of legitimate, open source author-fee publishing models, and instead offer guaranteed rapid publishing for a fee. These publishers can be difficult to determine from reputable open access publishers.
Though resources like Cabell's (below) attempt to list problematic publishers, it may be easier to keep a list of questions to ask when evaluating a journal as a potential publishing vehicle for your work. These questions may include:
- Have you ever heard of this publisher?
- Have you seen this journal cited before, or do you know anyone who has published in the journal? Can it be found on resources such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)? Is it included in indexes such as MEDLINE?
- Does the journal's website seem professional? Are there obvious typos, grammar problems, or broken links?
- Who are the journal's editors? Are they real people that can be confirmed by a Google search? Is there contact information for the editors? Do the editors know they have been listed on the website as associated with this journal?
- Are the author fees reasonable? Do they seem comparable with other open access journals such as those included in DOAJ?
- What does the journal state about its peer review process? Is the process transparent? Are the peer reviewers listed on the website? How do the editors share the work with the reviewers? Is there adequate time in the publishing timeline for several reviewers to provide quality feedback to the editors?
- Does it appear, in your opinion, that the journal's primary goal is to disseminate quality research? Or is it to get fast publishing for authors who need it and make a profit at the same time?
