Just because a publisher claims to be open access and follows the author pays fees OA Model,
not all publishers are on the up-and-up. Have you been solicited to publish in a particular journal? Are you skeptical? How can you be sure the journal is reputable?
Features to look for and verify:
- Are there typos or grammatical errors? That's usually a flag.
- Did you check the databases in which the journal claims to appear and find them? If you didn't find them, that's a flag. Example: the journal title claims to be indexed in PubMed but you can't find the journal title in PubMed. Not good.
- Did you find any journal issues in the archive? In the current journal list? If you can't find back issues or if there are only a couple of back issues or maybe just an image of a journal flyer, that's a flag.
- What is the pricing structure? How many journal articles will be accepted during the membership time frame? Is the pricing information clear? Is there a mechanism in place in which you agree or not agree to pay? Be careful.
- Are you prompted to check with your Institution to find out if there is an Institution-paid membership on your behalf? If not, be careful.
- What do you get for the price? Beware of publishers who offer you a certificate of membership suitable for framing and/or a designated title to add to your signature. Example: Publisher boasts that membership includes certificate suitable for framing and permission to add their group member designation behind your signature: I. M. Smart, MD, Member, Association of Predatory Publishers (MAPP)
- A publisher may claim to provide peer review and to list an impressive editorial board. Contact the listed board members to verify.
Be skeptical when you are solicited to publish anywhere. If you find any of the above flags, or others, beware and seek assistance from your librarian liaison.
Crystal Cameron-Vedros, cvedros@kumc.edu
