Predatory Open Access Journals are Indexed in Reputable Databases: a Revisiting Issue or an Unsolved Problem

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics
• Scholarly Publishing Ethics
• Scientific Integrity

Background:

• Pseudo, hijacked, fraudulent, fake, and predatory journals pose a significant threat to the integrity of scientific research.
• Publication in such journals leads to the waste of valuable research efforts and resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify novel features for detecting fraudulent journals.
• To educate inexperienced scientists on how to avoid predatory publishing.
• To raise awareness about the issue of predatory journals in academia.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted on PubMed.
• Inclusion of relevant articles from trusted internet sources.
• Synthesis of information to identify key characteristics of predatory journals.

Main Results:

• Predatory journals have infiltrated reputable databases like PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science.
• A comprehensive list of 28 suggested characteristics for identifying predatory journals has been compiled.
• The presence of fake journals in established databases necessitates urgent attention and clear identification strategies.

Conclusions:

• Inexperienced researchers are vulnerable to predatory journals due to a lack of awareness regarding their detrimental effects.
• A collective boycott of predatory journals by both readers and authors is essential.
• Promoting awareness and providing clear identification tools are crucial steps in combating predatory publishing.