Research Guides: Predatory Publishing: Author Resources

Tips for Identifying Journals

Look for journals that publish articles in your field/topic. Start by looking at trusted journal lists from managed by libraries or professional organizations.
Consider a journal's audience and if your research is of relevance to that audience.
Once you find a journal of interest, evaluate its quality by looking through its publications.
Thoroughly review the journals publication practice, peer-review process, author rights, payment information, & timeline for publication.
Contact members listed on the editorial boards. Many times, predatory journals will add prestigious faculty on their editorial boards without asking, and then refuse to remove them from the list. Also, speaking with editorial board members will give you a great sense of the quality of the journal and its mission.

Think. Check. Attend.

Think. Check. Attend.
Evaluate conferences before you attend.

Selection Tools

The following UAB databases provide detailed information for journals (some include impact factor):

Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Access to the core collection - which consists of Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Science Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, all from 1990 – present, plus access to Journal Citation Reports.
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Abstract and citation database of research literature and web sources. Provides h-index metrics and total number of citations.
Ulrichsweb: Global Serials Directory This link opens in a new window
A bibliographic database providing detailed information on serials published throughout the world. Includes links to full text, and identification of refereed (peer reviewed) journals.
Cabells Journalytics This link opens in a new window
Assesses journal validity to combat predatory publishing. Covers Accounting, Economics & Finance, Management, and Marketing disciplines.

See related Research Guide: Predatory Publishing

Use the following resources to identify journals for potential publication:

Beall's List of Predatory Journals & Publishers
Considered a blacklist of predatory publishers. The list was maintained by Jeffrey Beall from 2012-2017. In January of 2017, the list was taken down It has since been made available again and is being maintained anonymously. The website also includes helpful links and a journal evaluation tool.
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
Online directory that indexes and provides access to high quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals. They maintain strict criteria for membership and are funded in part by donations and in part by membership fees charged to publishers. It also offers useful information about the open-access journal, such as what are its publication charges and what is the average time from submission to publication.
Flourish OA
Tool developed by the University of Washington Datalab that helps researchers identify credible open access journals for publishing. Offers unique visualization tools.
Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE)
Online tool to help identify potential journals for publication. Searches include special tags for articles indexed in MEDLINE and DOAJ.
JournalGuide
Must create a (free account) to access this database that helps researchers find and compare journals across all fields.
ROAD ISSN
Tool for identifying the quality of open access resources. ROAD ISSN is a directory of scholarly research published around the world and freely available. The entries provide information about journal services and indicators.
Scimago Journal & Country Rank (SJR)
Online portal that includes journals and country scientific indicators. Journals can be compared or analyzed individually.

The following resources are tools to help you locate journals from specific publishers according to your research area:

Elsevier Journal Finder
Matches research topics to Elsevier journals for potential publication.
Journals in NLM Catalog
Matches research to potential journals indexed in both MEDLINE and PubMed Central.
Springer Journal Suggester
Matches research to Springer journals for possible publication.
Wiley Journal Finder
Matches research to Wiley journals for possible publication.
Wiley Journal List & Author Resources
Tool matches research to Wiley journals and also provides author compliance tool to evaluate publication requirements.

Publication Ethics & Responsibilities

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
Provides leadership in thinking on publication ethics, practical resources to educate and support members, and offers a professional voice in current debates.
UAB Libraries Copyright
Information and FAQs provided by UAB Libraries concerning copyright.
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
Details guidelines for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly work in Medical Journals.

Evaluating Journals Practice

Use these tutorials to practice evaluating journals and publishers by answering targeted questions and using specific online resources. They are intended to walk you through the process.

Search DOAJ

Think. Check. Submit.

"Think. Check. Submit." is a campaign to help researchers identify trusted journals for their research. It is a simple checklist researchers can use to assess the credentials of a journal or publisher.

Retrieved from http://thinkchecksubmit.org/about/