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Predatory publishing

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.3.6

Introduction

The COPE predatory publishing discussion document introduces issues, and analyses potential solutions, around predatory publications. COPE welcomes comments which add to this ongoing debate.

It describes common features of the phenomenon such as deception and lack of quality controls and provides a range of warning signs to look for when assessing a journal. The document details the problems they cause for authors, readers, and other stakeholders, examines established interventions and solutions to address the problem, and presents 30 insightful suggestions from COPE to tackle, avoid, and raise awareness of the problem of predatory journals.

Key points

  • Many warning signs of predatory journals are the opposite of the Principles of transparency and best practice in scholarly publishing.

  • Negative effects of predatory publishing include deceiving authors into paying for non-existent services, wasting funding, and diluting the research with unreliable papers.

  • Solutions to the problem of fake journals may include community education or criminal charges.

  • Guidance, training and safelists should be updated regularly as new journals frequently emerge. 

  • Predatory publishers often use the author publication charge business model.

Read the Predatory Publishing Discussion Document (PDF)

Core practices:

About this resource

Written by COPE Council
Version 1 November 2019
How to cite this  COPE Council. COPE Discussion Document: Predatory Publishing. November 2019

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