- \n
- The ICMJE has strengthened its guidance on how to detect predatory journals.<\/li>\n
- Sharing knowledge of predatory journals \u2013 what they are, how they operate, and known entities of concern \u2013 within the scientific community is key to tackling predatory journals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thepublicationplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AdobeStock_964521671.jpeg?resize=1024%2C585&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nPredatory journals are an enduring and growing issue in open access publishing<\/a>, with at least 15,000 estimated globally in 2021. Pseudo- or predatory journals intentionally misrepresent themselves for financial gain, and authors continue to fall prey<\/a> to them, believing their authenticity or following unethical motivators linked to the pressure to publish<\/a>. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE<\/a>) has recently updated its guidance<\/a> on how publishers and authors can protect themselves, along with the release of a dedicated editorial<\/a> authored by Professor Christine Laine and colleagues.<\/p>\n
Detecting a predatory journal<\/strong><\/p>\n
Predatory journals may employ clever tricks to appear legitimate, such as:<\/p>\n
- \n
- using similar names to well-established journals<\/a><\/li>\n
- using faked editorial boards<\/li>\n
- fabricating indexing and citation records<\/li>\n
- claiming membership of respected publication bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Authors should be aware of hallmark behaviours identifying predatory journals, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- lack of transparency about fees<\/li>\n
- absent peer review processes<\/li>\n
- promise of rapid turnaround<\/li>\n
- failure to respond to queries in a timely manner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The editorial also recommends taking the following steps:<\/p>\n
- using similar names to well-established journals<\/a><\/li>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thepublicationplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Aspirations_Gemma-Farrington_1.png?resize=1360%2C166&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n