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研究者必知的工具與資源: Strategies on predatory journals

Strategies on predatory journals

Essential Tools and Resources for Researchers: Strategies on predatory journals

The rise of predatory journals began with the publication of papers in an Open Access format, in which authors pay Article Processing Charges to grant readers free online access in speeding up the dissemination and exchange of research output as well as increasing the impact of new knowledge.

Predatory journals with dubious quality and editorial oversight lures unsuspecting scholars under pressure to publish with promises of fast return times, false claims, and exorbitant prices. They contribute little to no academic value, renders exchanges meaningless, damages reputations, and waste national resources. In recent years, predatory journals and seminars have garnered the attention of academic communities and media at home and abroad.

Beware of predatory journal traps!

The rise of Open Access journals with free academic resources online encourages authors to pay Article Processing Charges, thereby generating publicity for their research. Driven solely by profit, predatory journals with dubious quality and editorial oversight lures unsuspecting scholars under pressure to publish with promises of fast return times, false claims, and exorbitant prices.

Identifying Predatory Journals

The Research Portal (2019) listed 8 common features in How to Avoid Predatory Journal and Seminar Traps to help identify fraudulent publishers as summarized below:

  1. Requests Article Processing Charges.
  2. Excluded from SCI, SSCI, AHCI indexes (not all journals excluded are predatory).
  3. Lack of JIF (only journals in JCR have a JIF).
  4. Fast review.
  5. Unstable submissions/publications.
  6. Conference names or topics that are too broad.
  7. Unclear agendas and review procedures.
  8. High acceptance rate.

Suggested tools

★Common assessment tools (paid databases requiring log-ins from the Library)

  1. WOS verification
  1. Search SCIE and SSCI in WOS for high-quality journals, conference papers, and books in natural and social sciences, arts, and humanities that matches your interests. It links citations to explore subject connections between articles.
  2. Click here to see our verification tools.
  1. JCR verification
  1. JCR authenticates JIF (average frequency of citations a given year) to evaluate or compare a journal with others in the same field.
  2. Click here to learn how to use the JCR or here to see our verification tools.
  3. Some journals without a JIF are indexed in SCIE/SSCI (see Master List).

★Easy finders

  1. Journals indexed in the following platforms are less likely to be predatory:
    1. The Directory of Open Access Journals is the most well-known reference and basic identifier for predatory journals. Click here for verification procedures.
    2. The Master Journal List is a free finder for recent additions to WOS updated monthly for researchers, publishers, and librarians to keep track of the publishing environment.
    3. The Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association
    4. Journals Online of the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications for to journals in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Central America, and Mongolia.
    5. African Journals Online helps find journals in African countries.
  2. Journals indexed in the following platforms are more likely to be predatory:
    1. Beall’s List of Predatory Journals and Publishers portal (see verification procedures)
    2. Stop Predatory Journals portal.

Essential Tools and Resources for Researchers: Quick access to electronic full-texts with Google Scholar

Most accustomed to Googling information on the Internet will learn ingenuous tricks for obtaining desired electronic full-texts with Google Scholar and set up alerts for the latest literature and news on specific topics. The system automatically saves search history and send an email alert for new results.