Skip to Main Content
 

Scholarly Communications

The scholarly communications and publishing ecosystem, including: formats of academic literature (journals, monographs, edited collections), research impact, grants, copyright, Open Access, and public scholarship.

Predatory Publishing

 

While most journals and publishers strive for excellence in writing, research, and peer review, some may invoke predatory practices to take your money, your research, or both. Predatory journals and publishers "are driven by self-interest, usually financial, at the expense of scholarship" (Grudniewicz et al, 2019). Use the following resources to assess journals and publishers to ensure you're submitting to a quality journal.

You may also want to consider what your assignment, tenure and promotion, or other guidelines say about where to publish in addition to the information below. 

If you're unsure about whether or not a journal is quality or if you'd like assistance evaluating a journal or publisher, ask a librarian.

Principles of Scholarly Publishing

The following principles give you a frame by which to evaluate journals and publishers. These principles, titled Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, are maintained by a cohort of academic and scholarly publication associations.

Journal Content

  • A journal's name is unique.
  • The website protects users and has high professional standards.
  • The publishing schedule is clear and kept to in practice.
  • Preservation of the journal content is clearly indicated.
  • Copyright terms for published content are clear.
  • Licensing information is in the policy and on published articles.

Journal Practices

  • Publication ethics policies are available.
  • The peer review process is clear.
  • Charges or registration required for access to articles are clear to readers.

Organization

  • Journals clearly state ownership and management.
  • Editorial board members are experts in the journal's subject area.
  • Journals provide contact information and full editor details.

Business Practices

  • Any charges related to manuscripts are clear to authors.
  • Journals clearly state all revenue sources.
  • Journals have a transparent advertising policy.
  • Marketing to authors is appropriate, targeted, and unobtrusive.

Language from COPE DOAJ OASPA WAME. Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing  - English. https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.12. 2022 COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, WAME.

Think Check Submit

Take agency in your scholarly journey by evaluating journals before you submit your work. One tool, Think. Check. Submit. is a great resource by which to evaluate journals and publishers. This initiative, led by a group of scholarly associations, gives you a checklist to make sure you think about all aspects of a journal, like its peer review process, how transparent their fee structure and licensing is, and more.

Image with the text "Think. Check. Submit."

Watchlists & Safelists