Unfortunately, there are publishers and conference organisers who have questionable or predatory practices. These practices can include:
- choosing a name for the journal or conference that is very close to a legitimate journal or conference
- charging excessive publication fees
- quick or no peer review process
- short time between submission to publication
- creating journals or conferences that do not exist and soliciting academics to submit papers.
Be vigilant and thoroughly check:
- the details of any publishers or conference organisers that contact you directly inviting you to submit a paper
- that there is a legitimate peer-review or article submission process
- the quality of past papers submitted to the journal or conference
- whether the company who has created the conference or journal are legitimate (look up any business registration number, address, or other identifying information provided)
- the quality of the website and completeness of information
- fees that are charged
- metrics, policies, and other information
- the pace of publishing research outputs (a fast growth in research outputs, i.e. published journal articles, can be an indication of questionable publishing practices).
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