Getting published: a guide from journal writing to academic impact

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Avoid predatory publishers at all costs! If you are still unsure after reading this guidance, please contact the Research Liaison team in the library and we will happily investigate further. Contact details under the Further Help tab of this guide. 

The best way to spot and then avoid predatory publishers is to form sound knowledge of what to expect from a legitimate publisher. This will then help you to distinguish an imposter! The check list provided in this guide is a great resource that can help you make a rigorous assessment about a publisher and subsequently, an informed decision about publishing with them or not. Remember, publishing your work with a predatory publisher is never a good idea and can damage your publishing career. 

Reasonable Expectations:

• The publisher issues publications regularly and these contain more than one article. Volumes are published in a timely manner. 
• Statements on the peer review process and policies are easy to find on the website and are transparent. 
• Pricing transparency is obvious and easy to find especially relating to publishing charges and APCs. 
  • Example: PLOS: Publication Fees and Fee Assistance
• It is clear what your rights are as the author! (aka copyright transfer procedures and licensing). 
  • Example: Urban Planning and Transport Research (see: Instructions for Authors > Copyright Options > Read more on Publishing Agreements
• The publisher has a Membership with the Committee on Publication Ethics and/or with the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association.
• There is a clear digital archiving policy or statement that demonstrates a commitment to making your work available and accessible for a long time (i.e. what's their backup plan?). Archiving and preservation of online assets has never been more valuable! 
  • Example: Elsevier: Digital Archive
  • Example: PeerJ: General FAQs (see "What is PeerJ's long-term strategy in the event it stops publishing?")

Additional Reading:

Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, which lists 16 key principles of transparency.