Predatory Journals: What Can We Do to Protect Their Prey?
Author Information
Author(s): Christine Laine, Dianne Babski, Vivienne C Bachelet, Till W Bärnighausen, Christopher Baethge, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Frank Frizelle, Laragh Gollogly, Sabine Kleinert, Elizabeth Loder, João Monteiro, Eric J Rubin, Peush Sahni, Christina C Wee, Jin-Hong Yoo, Lilia Zakhama
Hypothesis
What strategies can stakeholders take to counter the deceptive efforts of predatory journals?
Conclusion
Predatory journals pose significant risks to authors and the integrity of scholarly publishing, necessitating collective action from all stakeholders.
Supporting Evidence
- Predatory journals can disseminate unvetted and fraudulent health information.
- These journals often mimic legitimate journals to deceive authors.
- Authors under pressure to publish may choose predatory journals to build their publication lists.
- Legitimate journals may face unfounded accusations due to predatory journals mimicking them.
- Predatory journals can harm the credibility of academic institutions.
Takeaway
Some journals trick authors into publishing with them by pretending to be real, which can hurt both the authors and the science community. We need to be careful and help each other avoid these traps.
Potential Biases
Authors early in their careers or lacking mentorship are particularly vulnerable to predatory journals.
Limitations
No comprehensive list of predatory journals exists, making it difficult for authors to identify them.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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