Open Access Publishing

Is this journal or publication the right source for you to publish your work? Does your research fall within the scope of the journal?

• Have you or your colleagues heard of the journal and publisher?
• If the journal is open access, is it listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and does the publisher belong to the Open Access Scholarly Publishers’ Association (OASPA)? Search in these directories to make sure the journal you are interested in is actually listed. Some predatory journals have misleading information about being associated with these reputable groups. 
• Is the journal clear about the type of peer review it uses? Does the website mention whether the process involves independent/external reviewers who are subject matter experts? The process should include reviewers who are not on the editorial board and so can make objective decisions.
• Are the articles published in the journal well written and of high quality. Read a few articles to assess the writing and research quality. 
• Is it clear what fees will be charged? Reputable OA publishers should list their fees clearly and publicly. 
• Are guidelines provided for authors on the publisher website?
• Are the articles indexed in databases relevant to your discipline? 

If the journal guarantees acceptance or a very short peer review time, it is a red flag for a predatory journal.

For more information, visit the Think. Check. Submit website. 

After reviewing the checklist mentioned earlier, if you are confident about the credibility and appropriateness of the journal you want to publish in, go ahead and submit your work. If you are unsure or still have a question about the journal, reach out to your liaison librarian for assistance.