Before submitting your article, make sure the journal is a reputable platform for your work. Not all journals, including open access journals, are considered to be reputable, nor do they necessarily follow a rigorous standard of publication ethics. Be wary of 'predatory publishers' that charge high fees for publication or expedited peer-review (pay-for-play). Investigate the listed impact factors and the editors of the journal in question, as they may be falsified on the journal's website. Disreputable publishers and editors may also use your name to solicit submissions from your peers.
Here are some resources for evaluating a journal:
- Think. Submit. Check
- This site contains a checklist of things to look for in a reputable journal.
- SHERPA/RoMEO
- Different journals may have different policies regarding the the ownership and copyright of your work. This is a directory of policies from various journal publishers. If the journal is not listed, be wary.
- COPE Members
- Journal editors who are members of COPE indicate they will follow "the highest standard of publication ethics" and the COPE Code of Conduct.
- Worldcat Catalog
- Which and how many libraries have copies of this journal in their collection?
