Predatory Journals: How to identify and avoid them

This brief tutorial defines “predatory journals” and their major characteristics. It provides information to help novice academics to avoid this trap.

Developed by Mark P Snyders, Digital Scholarship Librarian, University of the Western Cape. Thanks to Jessica van der Hoek and Duane Bowers.

Who might find this useful?

Novice academics may find this useful as they begin publishing their research. This video might add a useful contribution to any workshop on academic publishing and knowledge dissemination

Explore these additional resources

• Three short videos on how to select an appropriate journal for your publication
• Predatory journals: A threat to academic credibility
• “Dear Esteemed Author:” Spotting a Predatory Publisher in 10 Easy Steps
• Why you should care about the rise of fake journals and the bad science they publish
• 13 ways to spot a predatory journal
• A reporter published a fake study to expose how terrible some scientific journals are
• Beall’s List of Predatory ​Journals and Publishers