An email arrives praising your recent paper and inviting you to submit to a journal you’ve never heard of. The scope sounds close enough to your field. Publication is promised in two weeks. While speed alone does not indicate that a journal is predatory, unusually fast publication promises can be a warning sign that warrants further checking. Legitimate journals send invitations too, so an invitation alone isn’t a warning sign. What matters is what you find when you check.
Predatory journals may charge article processing charges (APCs) without providing the editorial and peer-review services authors would reasonably expect. The risk is real: In a 2022 InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) survey of 1,872 researchers from 112 countries, nearly a quarter (24%) said they had published in a predatory journal, taken part in a predatory conference, or didn’t know whether they had.
For background on how predatory publishing works and why it has grown, read Predatory publishing: 10 things to know.
How can you tell if a journal is legitimate before you submit?
A journal doesn’t need to be well known to be credible. New journals launch every year, and many are rigorous from the start. What sets a trustworthy journal apart isn’t its age or reputation. It’s how openly it operates.
The most useful habit is to separate claims you can verify from promises you can’t. Indexing, metrics, memberships, and editor affiliations are facts you can check independently. Promises of speed, prestige, or guaranteed acceptance are not. Check the facts and weigh the overall picture. Predatory publishing practices exist on a spectrum rather than as a simple yes-or-no label, which is why the overall pattern matters more than any single warning sign.
Predatory journal checklist: Seven checks to run
1. Who is the publisher, and can you find them?
A credible journal names its publisher and gives a verifiable postal address, not just a web form. Search for the publisher separately from the journal. If its portfolio has grown from a handful of titles to hundreds in a short time, or covers unrelated disciplines, find out why before you submit.
2. Is the editorial board real, and do its members know?
Look for named editors with institutional affiliations you can confirm. Some journals list researchers as editors without their knowledge or consent. If you recognize a name, you can independently verify the researcher’s institutional affiliation or contact them through their institutional details to confirm their involvement.
3. Is the peer-review process described in detail?
A legitimate journal explains what type of review it uses, who’s involved, and roughly how long it takes. Vague wording, or a promise of review and a decision within days, should prompt caution. Reviewers are volunteers with their own commitments, and genuine review takes time. Our guide to how peer review works explains what normally happens at each stage.
4. Are the fees clear and stated up front?
APCs are a normal part of open access publishing. What matters is disclosure. You should be able to find the amount, what it covers, and when it’s payable before you submit. Fees that are not clearly disclosed before submission should prompt further checking. Authors should understand when and why an APC is payable before submitting.
5. Do the indexing and impact claims hold up?
Check claims at the source. If a journal says it’s indexed in MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, or the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), search the NLM Catalog, Scopus Sources, the Master Journal List, or DOAJ directly. Only Clarivate issues the Journal Impact Factor, through the Journal Citation Reports, so treat lookalike metrics with unfamiliar names as unverified. A new journal may not be indexed yet, which is normal. A claim you cannot independently verify should be treated with caution.
6. Does the scope fit your work, and is the website genuine?
Read the aims and scope, then read a recent issue. A journal that’s right for your paper will already be publishing work like it. Be alert to an extremely broad scope, and to websites that copy a well-established journal’s title or design. These “hijacked” or cloned sites can look convincing, so reach the journal through its publisher’s official website rather than a link in an email. The Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker lists known cloned sites.
7. What do the ethics and policy pages say?
Trustworthy journals publish clear policies on authorship, conflicts of interest, corrections, retractions, and data availability. Some legitimate journals are members of organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) or OASPA or are listed in DOAJ. Verify any membership or listing directly through the organization’s own website.