How to choose a journal and avoid predatory ones

Start from your paper

Write one sentence on what the paper contributes and who needs to read it. Then look at your own reference list: the journals you cite most are the journals whose readers care about your topic. That gives a first shortlist without any tool.

Check the fit

• Aims and scope. Read the journal's own statement. If your paper needs an argument to fit, it does not fit.
• Recent issues. Skim the last year. Has the journal published work on your topic, with your kind of method?
• Article types and limits. Word count, structure, and whether your type of paper is accepted.
• Audience. Specialist or general, regional or international.
• Access model and cost. Subscription, open access or hybrid, and any charges.
• Timelines. Many journals publish their average time to first decision.

Check where it is indexed

If your university or funder requires publication in indexed journals, verify the journal at the index itself.

National rules differ and change. In India, check the University Grants Commission's current guidance and your own university's rule on which journals count; in other countries, check the equivalent national list or your institution's policy. Journals are also added to and removed from indexes, so check close to the date you submit.

Warning signs of a predatory journal

• An unsolicited email inviting you to submit, often flattering and off-topic.
• A promise of acceptance or publication within days.
• Fees that are unclear, or demanded before peer review.
• A title that imitates a well-known journal, or a website that copies one.
• An editorial board with no verifiable members, or members who do not know they are listed.
• Indexing claims or impact metrics that cannot be confirmed at the index.
• No clear peer-review process, publisher address or contact details.
• A scope so broad that any paper would fit.

No single sign is conclusive. Several together are a reason to walk away. Publishing in such a journal can make the work impossible to publish elsewhere and may not count towards your degree or promotion.

A quick verification routine

1. Work through the Think. Check. Submit. checklist.
2. Confirm the journal's title and ISSN in each index it claims.
3. Look up two or three editorial board members on their own institutional pages.
4. Read two recent articles. Is the quality what you would want next to your name?
5. Ask your supervisor or a librarian if you are still unsure.

Before you submit

Format the manuscript to the author guidelines, check the referencing style, prepare the cover letter and declarations, and submit to one journal only. If the decision is "revise", see how to respond to reviewer comments.

Sources and further reading

Think. Check. Submit. · Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) · Web of Science Master Journal List · DOAJ