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Predatory publishing is an all too common force within higher education that capitalizes on the pressures of the "publish or perish" paradigm that has students and faculty in an emotional chokehold. The scope of predatory publishing and its history is a long one, with varying definitions. As of 2019, Nature has produced the most up-to-date definition of what constitutes predatory publishing: “Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.”
The term "predatory publishing" was coined by Jeffrey Beal, who served as an academic librarian and researcher for the University of Colorado Denver. The motivations for why a publisher is predatory can vary: Some entities are driven by money and use the pressure from research-oriented universities to target graduate students and tenure-track professors to submit their manuscripts and charge exorbitant fees; others can become predatory due to poor management practices or a lack of experience in handling academic publications.
The University of New Mexico's Academic Integrity and Research Ethics produced this video to describe some of the tactics used by predatory publishers and what to look for when assessing a journal's credibility.
This is meant to serve as a guide on the topic of predatory publishing and to identify salient resources in evaluating journals' scholastic credibility; it is not meant to be an exhaustive list of predatory journals or behaviors, nor should the contents within be construed as legal advice. Fundamentally, the author is responsible for making the final decision as to where they wish to publish and what they expect from the publisher in question.
Authors are encouraged to contact the librarians at Palo Alto University if they have questions on how to evaluate a journal.