- General
- Predatory publishing
Predatory publishing
The argument that open access journals and books are not of the same quality as conventionally published works is one that comes up again and again. In reality, the opposite is usually the case. Since the entire scientific community has access to the publications, the journals and publishers rely on a good reputation and therefore often work more transparently than traditional institutions. However, especially with new journals or publishers that are not established, there is often uncertainty about their quality. Predatory publishing refers to journals and publishers that publish articles without quality control in exchange for higher sums of money.
Quality control
Before submitting an article to a journal you are not familiar with, check the quality and scientific work of the editorial board with the following steps. If you are unsure, feel free to contact the library.
Links
- Think.Check.Submit
- UlrichsWeb database
Predatory publishing
So-called "predatory publishers" pretend to publish high-quality scientific publications for a (usually high) publication fee. Despite the fees paid, the articles are published without editorial revision or peer review process. Often all submissions are published, according to the "pay and get published" method.
How can such a magazine be recognised? Basically, the same checklist as above applies, with some additions:
- Duration of the announced peer review process
- Control of the Editorial Board
- Do the members exist?
- If so, do these members mention their involvement with the journal in their CV or on their website?
- Is the journal indexed in Web of Science, Scopus or DOAJ? (Attention: newly founded journals may still be in the evaluation process, which can take several months).
- Impact Factor on the Web of Science database
The criteria mentioned are often only meaningful together. In the link collection you will find helpful pages that will assist you in checking journals.