# The Sheridan Libraries

**Source**: https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/predatory-journals
**Parent**: https://dataservices.library.jhu.edu/resources/

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# Open Access

Information about Open Access to articles and other scholarly texts.

- [Open Access](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/home)
- [Funder Compliance](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/funder_compliance)
- [Open Access Support at JHU](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/support "Information specific to JHU")
- [Finding Open Access Articles](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/c.php?g=757333&p=6437192)
- [Repositories](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/repositories)
- [Five Action Items Researchers Can Take Today](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/Five_Actions_Today)
- [Predatory Journals and Conferences](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/predatory-journals)
  - [The Problem](#s-lg-box-17159362)
  - [Finding Reliable Open Access Journals and Books](#s-lg-box-17140216)
- [Open Access Week 2025](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/OA_Week)

## Predatory/Fake Conferences

Fake conferences are another way for scammers to earn money from the academy's requirement to share scholarship in person.

- [Think Check Attend](https://thinkcheckattend.org/)

  Sister site of Think Check Submit, this site walks you through a process designed to avoid predatory conferences.
- [Predatory conference scammers are getting smarter](https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/predatory-conference-scammers-are-getting-smarter/3009263.article)

  2018 article in Chemistry World about how scam conferences are promoting themselves as legit.
- [Dr Dreier's Method](http://tidsskriftet.no/en/2017/11/fra-redaktoren/dr-dreiers-method)

  Norwegian scholar describes how he submitted a fake article to a predatory conference and became a keynote speaker.

## NIH

- [Statement on Article Publishing Resulting from NIH Funding](https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-18-011.html)

The NIH now provides guidelines to help authors publish in reputable journals. The sources they suggest are also listed in the Finding Reliable OA Journals & Books box to the right. Other NIH posts have appeared about [how librarians can help](https://nlmdirector.nlm.nih.gov/2017/11/07/calling-on-librarians-to-help-ensure-the-credibility-of-published-research-results/) and that the changing publishing landscape requires [more attention from authors](https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2017/11/08/continuing-steps-to-ensuring-credibility-of-nih-research-selecting-journals-with-credible-practices/).

## FTC takes OMICS to court

- [FTC v OMICS - track the progress](https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/152-3113/federal-trade-commission-v-omics-group-inc)
- [Dropping the Hammer — Predatory Publishers Get Pounded by Regulators and the Press](https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2018/07/30/dropping-hammer-predatory-publishers-get-pounded-regulators-press/)
- [FTC and NIH Take Action Against Predatory Publishers](https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2017/12/04/federal-trade-commission-national-institutes-health-take-action-predatory-publishing-practices/)

## The Problem

Open Access journals with article processing charges (APCs) are an attempt to change the way scholarly journals work, allowing authors or their institutions to pay once the article had been peer reviewed and accepted. The move away from subscriptions would allow anyone in the world to freely read the scholarship presented.

This business model, linked with the ability to create professional-looking web pages cheaply, gave scammers an opportunity. They create a fake journal website, solicit articles from researchers via email, accept those articles immediately without any peer review, collect the APC, and post the article. Fake conferences also follow this model.

There is no standard definition for 'predatory journal'. These journals often share characteristics with new or low-quality journals. In 2019 a groups of researchers and publishers proposed a definition and list of characteristics in this Nature article, [Predatory Journals: No Definition, No Defence](https://findit.library.jhu.edu/go/25096993). They want their work to be discussed. They have a [website](https://osf.io/8xvpm/) where they'll gather data and information. A 2020 blog post, [There is no black and white definition of predatory publishing](https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2020/05/13/there-is-no-black-and-white-definition-of-predatory-publishing/) by Kyle Siler, is based on his [research](https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/6r274/) demonstrating the range of behaviors lumped under this term.

## Finding Reliable Open Access Journals and Books

Since identifying a predatory journal is a process and involves a lot of subjective considerations, there isn't one list of bad actors. You should use one or more of the sites below to help you identify predatory journals. Most of these are 'white lists', or lists of journals that meet certain requirements to prove they are reputable. Some are lists of characteristics for you to look for when considering a journal.

- [Cabell's International: Scholarly Analytics & Predatory Publishing](https://databases.library.jhu.edu/databases/proxy/JHU07088)
- [ThinkCheckSubmit](http://thinkchecksubmit.org/)
- [Directory of Open Access Journals](http://doaj.org)
- [Journals that claim they're in the DOAJ but really are NOT](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Y_Sza4rPDkf-NNX9kwiErGrKeNTM75md9B63A_gVpaQ/edit#gid=0)
- [Directory of Open Access Books](http://www.doabooks.org/)
- [Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association](http://oaspa.org/)
- [Committee on Publication Ethics](http://publicationethics.org/)
- [Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing](https://oaspa.org/principles-of-transparency-and-best-practice-in-scholarly-publishing/)

- [<< **Previous:** Five Action Items Researchers Can Take Today](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/Five_Actions_Today)
- [**Next:** Open Access Week 2025 >>](https://guides.library.jhu.edu/open-access/OA_Week)