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Research: Journal selection checklist

Journal selection checklist  

No individual criterion on this list is sufficient to condemn or exonerate a journal - many legitimate journals will not meet one or more of these criteria, and some predatory journals will meet some of these criteria.

However, taken together, a combination of all these factors should add weight to the journal being safe or unsafe.

Do not rely on the journal's own information for answers (such as whether it is listed in DOAJ, etc) - check the authoritative source.

Think.Check.Submit.

(This area of the checklist is partly based on the Think.Check.Submit website. For more details on checking for predatory journals, more questions to check before publishing, and other sources to check, including checking journals from developing nations, go to Think.Check.Submit.)

Are you familiar with the journal or publisher?
   
Can you contact the editor or publisher via telephone AND post AND email?
   
Is the journal clear about its peer review process?
   
Is the journal indexed significantly (not just a few articles) in a database/service that you use? (Do not include Google Scholar)
   
Is the journal or publisher a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)?
   
If the journal is Open Access, is the journal or publisher listed with the the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)?
   
If the journal is Open Access, is the publisher a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA)?
   

Library investigations

Is the journal listed in Ulrichs as peer reviewed?
   
Is the journal listed in Scimago Journal Rankings (Scimago JR)?
   
Is the journal VERIFIED in JournalGuide.com?
   
Is the journal indexed in Web of Science?
   
Is the journal or publisher listed on Flaky Academic Journals?
   
Is the journal or publisher listed in Beall's predatory lists?
   
Does the ICANN WhoIS record match the editor or publisher?
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) WHOIS service:
  1. Type in the main domain name of the journal web page, excluding the 'www.' e.g. type in somepublisher.com
  2. Scroll down to the raw record, and check the name and email of the registrant, admin, and tech areas.

Not conclusive, as legitimate journals and editors may use a registration service or privacy service, and predatory journals can create emails with a legitimate appearance, but this is sometimes another hint.

   
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