Predatory journals

Predatory journals are journals without peer-review that have titles that are deceptively similar to those of existing and highly estimated journals published by e.g., Elsevier or Springer. 

The lack of peer-review, impact factors, and transparency are typical features of predatory journals and this enables you to discover if a journal you are considering publishing in is a serious one or a predatory one.

More on the consequenses of predatory journals for researchers and for DTU

Below you will find a list of points to consider as well as some tools you can use to validate a journal you are considering publishing in. 
 

Things to consider

Journals and publishers engaging in any of the following behaviors could possibly be predatory:

  • Charging exorbitant rates for publication of articles in conjunction with a lack of peer-review or editorial oversight.
  • Notifying authors of fees only after acceptance.
  • Targeting scholars through mass-email spamming in attempts to get them to publish or serve on editorial boards.
  • Quick acceptance of low-quality papers, including hoax papers.
  • Listing scholars as members of editorial boards without their permission or not allowing them to resign.
  • Listing fake scholars as members of editorial boards or authors.
  • Copying the visual design and language of the marketing materials and websites of legitimate, established journals.
  • Fraudulent or improper use of ISSNs.
  • Giving false information about the location of the publishing operation.
  • Fake, non-existent, or mis-represented impact factors.

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