89
votes
How is it possible that [insert known crackpot] has articles published in Peer-Reviewed Journals?
I'll note that a "crank" in one field might well be an expert in another. Some incredible racists who spout crap are well respected researchers in, say, math or electronics.
I'll also note ...
- 345k
87
votes
Accepted
Rejection from a legitimate journal, with reviewers recommending me to try a Beall's list journal
I am quite new to academia, is the above considered normal practice
No. This is abnormal and unacceptable for a reviewer or editor to suggest this.
Any advice of what I can do?
If the journal you ...
- 10.1k
83
votes
How is it possible that [insert known crackpot] has articles published in Peer-Reviewed Journals?
Why would it be impossible? Remember, peer review is only supposed to judge the work that is presented. It's not supposed to judge the reputation of the authors, or the credibility of the author's ...
- 122k
75
votes
Accepted
Why do publishing scams use "lҽttҽr ѕubstitυtҽs"?
"Unicode-obfuscation" (link to pdf) is a common spam-filter evasion technique that is not unique to publishing scams. Your sample is not representative, so it only appears as if other scams ...
- 35k
66
votes
Why do vanity journals exist?
We do not call them "vanity journals." We call them "predatory journals." They make their money from people who do not understand how journals work. Their customers do not know that anybody can set ...
- 98.3k
62
votes
Accepted
Do reputable journals ever conduct peer review entirely by email?
I have interacted with several reputable math/TCS journals, both as author and as reviewer, entirely via email without the involvement of an online submission. I have even witnessed senior members of ...
- 41.2k
60
votes
How do I identify predatory and low quality journals? With Beall's List gone, how can I tell if a journal is spam?
I heard about Beall's list several times on this site, but I'm amazed about its significance to some people.
When you start doing research, you need to know which papers are important in your field (...
- 17.5k
58
votes
Accepted
How do I identify predatory and low quality journals? With Beall's List gone, how can I tell if a journal is spam?
As noted in the question, Beall's list once was a method for identifying predatory publishers. However, the list is no more. A recent Publons blog post addressed how to identify predatory journals.
...
- 13.9k
55
votes
What to do when a good article is published in a predatory online journal that disappears?
This is a very important question, as even non-predatory publishers can have problems and face difficult times, eventually closing altogether (e.g. Heart Lung and Vessels).
As stated in the comment ...
- 3,420
55
votes
Can a (predatory or fake) journal refuse to withdraw a non-published paper, even though the journal is to blame for withdrawal request?
The journal has nothing to "give back" and no basis for demanding payment. As long as the authors still hold copyright the work is theirs and theirs alone.
All that is required is a ...
- 345k
54
votes
Why do publishing scams use "lҽttҽr ѕubstitυtҽs"?
This paper (Arxiv PDF Link) argues that it is indeed done to prevent spam filters.
From their conclusion:
Moreover, we tested this method with a Microsoft Business email.
We first sent an email ...
- 8,148
52
votes
Distinguish starting journals from predatory ones
Look at the editorial board. If it contains respectable, well-known researchers in the field, then it's likely to be a serious journal.
- 45.9k
51
votes
Accepted
What is the best way to publicize the existence of a fraudulent journal?
Send it to one of the successors to Beall's list of predatory journals. Their websites:
Cabell’s whitelist/blacklist: commercial, subscription required for access, but accepts listings
Stop ...
- 122k
49
votes
Accepted
How serious can this review invitation be?
Don't waste your time with it. You were smart to catch how the mail might have been generated (keywords etc). These mails are often sent out by journals that turn out to be predatory*; you wouldn't ...
- 13.2k
46
votes
What to do when you have accidentally submitted an article to a predatory journal
You can now submit it elsewhere. It has not been published and it is not under consideration anywhere, so you are free to resubmit it.
The fact that the first journal was predatory is only relevant ...
- 3,495
43
votes
Is a seemingly decent paper with a citation to a poor article from predatory journal a concern?
It is obligatory to cite works that you use in your research. This includes bad works, works with errors, works that have never been cited, works published in bad/predatory journals, and works that ...
- 98.3k
39
votes
Why do vanity journals exist?
If you’ve ever submitted a manuscript that was eventually rejected, you can understand why people will resort to this kind of publication. Publishing novel stuff is hard, and not everybody can do it.
...
- 26.9k
38
votes
Accepted
Should I do peer-review for a predatory conference?
I would not review for a disreputable journal or conference, especially not a predatory one. Not only does it waste your time but I believe you are doing harm because you are providing them ...
- 761
37
votes
Should I submit my paper to a journal that accepts papers quickly?
Quick acceptance (a month) is pretty surprising for many disciplines, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in itself. But if the journal "guarantees quick acceptance", you should be very suspicious, ...
- 86.5k
35
votes
What is the best way to publicize the existence of a fraudulent journal?
There is little point in publicizing a particular fraudulent journal. It costs very little to set up a fraudulent journal. If people become aware of one fraudulent journal, criminals will simply ...
- 98.3k
35
votes
After my abstract was accepted I learned that the journal is predatory. How can I protect my abstract?
Money is the great motivator for predatory journals. If you write and tell them that:
You do not wish them to publish your abstract
You will not be paying them anything
You will not be sending them ...
- 5,687
32
votes
Distinguish starting journals from predatory ones
Most new respectable journals will be backed by an institution, so you can have a look at sponsors. They put their reputation on the line, so this is probably a more secure verification than only ...
- 14.5k
32
votes
Accepted
How to make sure that a conference is not a scam when you are invited as a speaker?
[As per suggestion of user151413, comment converted into response]
A few sanity checks to run:
Ask them who else is in your session and with which topics, if possible.
Check the participant list or ...
- 46.6k
31
votes
Were predatory journals widespread before publishers of reputable journals introduced the "author pays" model?
Anecdotally, a significant proportion of journals on post-Soviet space in 90s were quite happy to publish literally anything as long as author covers the "publication costs". The peer-review was ...
- 53.7k
31
votes
Should I tell a colleague that he's serving as an editor for a predatory journal?
First, you need to have very solid reasons for considering the journal to be "predatory". I bring this up because the only concrete reason you gave in your question is a rather poor one: ...
- 8,998
28
votes
How to make sure that a conference is not a scam when you are invited as a speaker?
If you are invited as an "invited speaker" or "honourable speaker" and the conference organizers still ask you to pay a registration fee to give your talk, that is likely a scam. ...
- 3,410
28
votes
After my abstract was accepted I learned that the journal is predatory. How can I protect my abstract?
Usually with journal publication there is some kind of publication agreement, and until there has been a publication agreement between author and journal, the author may withdraw the paper. The ...
- 64.2k
27
votes
Accepted
Invitation to review for an unknown journal
The title of the journal is very suspicious. You cannot even tell whether the journal is within your area of expertise.
This is probably one in the sea of many worthless journals. I am the editor of ...
- 3,895
27
votes
Accepted
Is there a website that lists the journals that are actually scams?
There used to be one, called Beall's list, which listed predatory journals. The author however took it offline, apparently partly because of legal threats. If you search online you will be able to ...
- 7,983
27
votes
Has a journal ever switched between being a predatory journal and a reputable one?
This question isn't really answerable because what's predatory and what isn't predatory isn't well-defined.
If you define "predatory" as being on Beall's list, then the answer is yes: MDPI ...
- 122k
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