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Are predatory journals filling up your inbox? New research explores the problem


August 19, 2015


Are those electronic invitations filling your inbox from so-called credible medical journals worth a second glance? Authors often feel pressure to publish, but competition can be stiff and determining where to submit time-consuming. Dr. David Moher recently published in BMC Medicine the results of a year-long study focused on discovering how many unsolicited invitations he received from reputable journals as opposed to predatory journals—journals which often exploit authors eagerness to publish while engaging in unethical practices. Of the 311 unsolicited emails collected, 79% were from 204 journals included in Beall’s list of potential predatory journals. What’s an author to do? The article includes a number of strategies to identify, discourage or block the emails.

Coauthor: Anubhav Srivastava

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Tags: Journalology