At least once a week I receive emails that a previous journal I authored was so exceptional that I am invited to submit another manuscript. One of the red flags is that the request to submit a manuscript is to a journal completely outside my field of study – developmental psychology! As it turns out, these are predatory journals—unscrupulous outlets that prioritize profit over the quality and integrity of research. These journals exploit inexperienced (and try with experienced) authors by offering quick publication with little to no peer review. More often than not, they charge hefty fees to publish your work.
For my psychology colleagues, falling into this trap can have serious consequences for your academic reputation and career. Here are some suggestions to help you identify and avoid predatory journals in psychology.
What Are Predatory Journals?
Predatory journals are publications that exploit the open-access model of publishing, where authors pay to have their articles published. Unlike legitimate open-access journals, predatory ones offer little to no peer review, editorial oversight, or quality control. Their primary aim is to collect fees from authors rather than contribute to the body of knowledge.
Common traits of predatory journals include:
- Lack of transparency in their editorial process.
- Aggressive and unsolicited invitations to publish.
- Fast-tracked publication (often within days or weeks of submission).
- Low or non-existent standards for peer review.
In psychology, publishing in these journals can not only damage your credibility but also make it harder to disseminate meaningful research to the academic community.
Red Flags to Watch For
Here are some key signs to help you detect predatory journals in psychology:
a. Lack of Peer Review Process
Legitimate journals typically have a rigorous peer-review process, where other experts in the field critically assess the quality of the research before it’s published. Predatory journals often skip or simulate this process, allowing low-quality, unverified studies to be published quickly.
How to spot this:
- Promises of unusually fast publication times (e.g., within a week).
- Lack of detailed information about the review process.
- Accepting articles with little or no revisions.
b. Aggressive Solicitation Emails
If you frequently receive unsolicited emails from journals or publishers you’ve never heard of, inviting you to submit your work, proceed with caution. Predatory journals often send out mass email campaigns, offering vague promises of “fast publication” or “guaranteed acceptance.”
How to spot this:
- Emails contain overly flattering language, with little mention of your actual research.
- Invitations to submit to broad, multi-disciplinary journals that have no specific focus on psychology.
- Email addresses and contact information that seem generic or inconsistent.
c. Unclear or Suspicious Fees
While legitimate journals (especially open-access ones) may charge publication fees, predatory journals often have hidden or exorbitant fees that are not clearly disclosed upfront. Be wary of journals that seem more focused on collecting fees than reviewing your work.
How to spot this:
- Fees are not transparent or are only mentioned after your manuscript is accepted.
- You are asked to pay fees that seem unusually high for the type of journal.
- Fee structures are confusing or inconsistent.
d. Poorly Designed Websites
Predatory journals often have hastily created websites with glaring issues, such as broken links, grammatical errors, and minimal content about editorial policies or the peer-review process.
How to spot this:
- The journal’s website has a lot of typographical errors or missing information.
- Editorial boards are either missing or filled with individuals whose qualifications are difficult to verify.
- The site lacks clear guidelines for authors or provides vague instructions that don’t reflect standard academic practices.
e. Editorial Board Concerns
Many predatory journals list fake or unqualified editorial board members to appear credible. In some cases, they list legitimate academics without their consent.
How to spot this:
- Editorial board members are difficult to find on reputable academic platforms like ResearchGate, Google Scholar, or LinkedIn.
- Some board members may have no clear affiliation with the journal’s focus area (e.g., individuals with no background in psychology serving on the editorial board of a psychology journal).
- The editorial board includes very few or no well-known researchers in the field.
Check for Legitimate Indexing and Metrics
One of the easiest ways to spot a predatory journal is by verifying whether it’s indexed in reputable databases. Legitimate psychology journals are indexed in established databases like PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, or the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
a. Journal Impact Factor
While not the only metric, a journal’s impact factor can give you an idea of its reputation and influence. Predatory journals often inflate their impact factors or display fake metrics.
How to spot this:
- The journal claims a suspiciously high impact factor that cannot be verified on trusted platforms like Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports or Scopus.
- Metrics provided are from unreliable sources, like “Index Copernicus” or other questionable indexing services.
b. Cross-Check with Known Databases
Use resources like Beall’s List (a list of potentially predatory publishers) or consult the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for more information about ethical publishing practices. You can also search for the journal in databases like PsycINFO or JSTOR to see if it is widely recognized in the field.
Watch Out for “Too Good to Be True” Promises
I can’t stress this one enough! If a journal promises fast publication, guaranteed acceptance, or excessive praise without any meaningful feedback, it’s a major red flag. High-quality psychology journals care about maintaining academic integrity and only publish rigorous, peer-reviewed research.
Questions you should ask:
- How long is the typical review process?
- Are there detailed guidelines about how manuscripts are evaluated?
- What is the journal’s rejection rate? (Higher rejection rates typically indicate stricter standards.)
Consult Your Peers and Advisors
Don’t be shy to ask your peers and advisors for their opinion. They may be familiar with reputable journals in psychology and can help you evaluate the legitimacy of a particular publication.
Additionally, discussing potential publication venues with fellow researchers can reveal trends or concerns that might not be immediately apparent.
Look for Established Publishers
Legitimate psychology journals are often backed by well-established academic publishers like SAGE, Springer, APA, or Elsevier. Be cautious of journals that are part of unfamiliar or shady publishing houses. Always verify the publisher’s reputation before submitting your manuscript.
Conclusion: Be Vigilant to Protect Your Research
The academic publishing landscape can be difficult to navigate, especially with the rise of predatory journals. As a psychology researcher, it’s important to protect your work and reputation by ensuring you only submit to trustworthy, peer-reviewed journals. By staying alert to the red flags and conducting due diligence, you can avoid falling into the predatory journal trap and ensure your research is published in credible outlets that contribute to the advancement of psychological science.
Remember, when in doubt, consult with your mentors, peers, or trusted colleagues. It’s better to take the time to publish in the right journal than to rush into a decision that could hurt your academic career.
