Predatory Publishers: What to Know and How to Avoid Them

Background: A predatory publisher is an opportunistic publishing venue that exploits the academic need to publish but offers little reward for those using their services. Predatory publishers exploit the emerging acceptance of open-access academic journals by making it attractive to publish.The ultimate goal of these publishers is to make a profit -not to promote scholarly research. They have no concern for the quality of work published and typically lack the peer-review process that legitimate journals provide.

Description: This poster shows the Definition of predatory publishing (including journals and conferences). Why it is important for researchers to be aware of them, Examples of predatory publishing, How to spot a predatory publisher. How to tell the different between a legitimate Open Access Journal and a predatory one.

Conclusion: Predatory publishing is especially damaging for biomedical and pharmaceutical fields due to a lack of comprehensive peer review. It helps create a rise in pseudo science and perpetuates bad research. It's important for medical librarians to remain vigilant that researchers avoid predatory publishers.