Predatory Journals

These are Predatory publishers that may approach you to serve as an editor and may ask you to recruit authors. Because these journals are suspicious, we recommend that you avoid publishing or serving as an editor. Students who are considering publication, are also advised to check this list.

Predatory journals typically charge publication fees without providing legitimate peer review, editorial oversight, or long-term archiving of your work — publishing with one can damage your academic credibility rather than build it.

Warning signs include unsolicited emails inviting you to submit or join an editorial board, promises of unusually fast publication, vague or missing peer-review processes, and journals with names that closely mimic well-established publications.

If you're ever unsure whether a journal is legitimate, contact the SJSM Library before submitting or agreeing to serve as an editor.

Protecting your academic reputation starts with knowing where to publish and who to trust with editorial responsibilities. Taking a few minutes to verify a journal's legitimacy before submitting your work can save you from having your research associated with a publisher that lacks genuine peer review.

A quick way to protect yourself: before submitting a manuscript or accepting an editorial invitation, search the journal's name alongside terms like “predatory” or “Beall's list,” and check whether the journal is indexed in a reputable database such as PubMed or Scopus. Legitimate journals are typically transparent about their peer review process, editorial board, and publication fees upfront, rather than requiring you to ask or dig for that information.