Emails (Predatory publishers are known for their frequent, aggressive, and unsolicited e-mails that often appear after a recent publication or presentation.
Is the e-mail well written? Does it contain grammatical or spelling errors?
Does the e-mail use excessively flattering or aggressive language? "Dear Esteemed Scholar"
Is the focus of the journal compatible with your area of research?
Does the e-mail have a commercial contact address (g-mail or yahoo)? Can the e-mail address be verified?
Is the physical address of the publisher one that can be found through Google Maps? Does it appear reputable?
Journal Title
Is the title similar to the name of an established journal or publisher?
Does the title contain misleading geographic information (European, Asian) that is not consistent with the real location of the journal? Where is the journal really published?
Journal Aim & Scope
Website
Is it unprofessional in appearance with broken links, grammatical and spelling errors, and design?
Is the journal website easy to find and navigate?
Is there an "About" section with adequate contact information?
Is ownership information transparent and easily determined?
Is the editor also the publisher or owner of the journal?
Editors and Editorial Board
Article Examples
Do the articles seem consistent with the journal title and scope?
Who are the authors? Contact the authors to ask about their opinions of the journal.
Have the same articles been published elsewhere in another journal? Predatory publishers often "re-publish" and plagiarize materials.
Are all the articles written by one person, or are there examples of articles from several different authors?
Peer Review Process
Is peer review mentioned? If so, what is the journal's peer review policy, process, and turnaround time?
Is there a way to verify that there actually is a peer review process?
Promises of a too speedy peer-review process might be a good indication that if the peer review process even exists, it may not be a thorough one.
Publication Timeline
Fees
Impact Factors
Indexing, Metrics, and Digital Preservation
Manuscript Submission
Policy Statements
Membership in scholarly publishing associations
This checklist was adapted from one prepared by Ruth Bueter, Serials Librarian at Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, George Washington University. It is used with the author's permission and also with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.