HOW TO IDENTIFY PREDATORY JOURNAL

Abstract

After the invention and popularity of open access journals, the production of predatory journals began. Predatory journals use various methods to attract authors, such as sending emails and claiming fast publication with rare rejections. The quality of published articles in these journals is questionable due to a lack of peer review, which may endanger patients because clinicians rely on published research.

The purpose of this article was to inform authors about how to identify predatory journals and avoid publishing in them. This topic was searched on Google Scholar and PubMed to retrieve some information for the authors. Before submitting an article, an author should scrutinize the journal's website, editorial board, address or contact phone number, the scope of the journal, the subject of published articles, and read a few articles from the current or previous issue to ensure that the standards of articles are met.

It is critical to double-check registrations with DOAJ and COPE and to be indexed in reputable databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, and others. Viewing databases and registration sites should be used to verify all of the journal's claims. Beall's list of predatory journals may also be useful. To avoid wasting time and effort by publishing in predatory journals, authors should follow the suggestions in this article.