KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The ICMJE has strengthened its guidance on how to detect predatory journals.
• Sharing knowledge of predatory journals – what they are, how they operate, and known entities of concern – within the scientific community is key to tackling predatory journals.

Predatory journals are an enduring and growing issue in open access publishing, with at least 15,000 estimated globally in 2021. Pseudo- or predatory journals intentionally misrepresent themselves for financial gain, and authors continue to fall prey to them, believing their authenticity or following unethical motivators linked to the pressure to publish. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) has recently updated its guidance on how publishers and authors can protect themselves, along with the release of a dedicated editorial authored by Professor Christine Laine and colleagues.

Detecting a predatory journal

Predatory journals may employ clever tricks to appear legitimate, such as:

• using similar names to well-established journals
• using faked editorial boards
• fabricating indexing and citation records
• claiming membership of respected publication bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Authors should be aware of hallmark behaviours identifying predatory journals, including:

• lack of transparency about fees
• absent peer review processes
• promise of rapid turnaround
• failure to respond to queries in a timely manner.

The editorial also recommends taking the following steps:

• Use the ThinkCheckSubmit checklist of features associated with trusted journals and publishers.
• Carefully check email addresses and URLs for discrepancies with the claimed sender.
• Forward any invitations to submit papers or to join an editorial board to the legitimate journal, to verify the source.

How can we tackle predatory journals?

The key to tackling predatory publishing is raising awareness of these journals and their tactics. Prof. Laine and colleagues note information about journals of concern should be shared with the scientific community, including with the journals who have been imitated, who may alert their readership or pursue legal action.

“The key to tackling predatory publishing is raising awareness of these journals and their tactics.”

The authors remind us that all stakeholders must take action to protect the scientific community – and the wider public – from the dangers of predatory journals.

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