Recently, we have observed a significant increase in the number of publications by Ukrainian researchers in predatory journals, in particular those with a high percentile in Scopus. Such publications attract authors with promises of quick publication, but can cause serious harm in the future, since in Ukraine a mandatory condition for defending a dissertation or obtaining an academic title is that the publication must be active at the time of these events. That is why we have prepared a short instruction for you that will help you pre-evaluate a journal and avoid falling into a predatory publication.
The most common reason for publication in predatory publications by scientists from Ukraine
A prerequisite for defending a dissertation or obtaining a scientific title is publication in high-percentile publications. Ukrainian scientists strive to publish their research as quickly as possible and without unnecessary effort. That is why they often fall into the trap of predatory journals. Usually this happens after receiving an invitation to publish by e-mail. The editorial board promises quick publication times for a certain fee. Often, such publications at first glance comply with all scientific standards, without arousing suspicion. Scientists submit an article there, and the journal very quickly accepts it without proper review. The authors are happy that their article has been accepted for publication. They pay for the publication, and the material is quickly published, even indexed in Scopus. However, along with this article, the journal begins to massively publish dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of similar materials. As a result, the publication comes under scrutiny and is excluded from Scopus. This is one of the most common scenarios that causes many scientists to lose money, nerves, and time.
Instructions: how to avoid this
1. Adequate assessment of the publication that invites articles for publication.
It is not forbidden to invite articles for publication - it is a good marketing tool. But it is important to pay attention to the content of the letter. If it promises quick review and publication - this is already a bad sign. Even if you submitted an article to such a journal and it was accepted in a few days without proper review, refuse publication and find a better publication.
2. Aims & Scope analysis.
For example, if a journal publishes articles that are not in line with its thematic areas. For example, an economics journal starts publishing articles on medicine. To check, look at the latest archives.
3. Checking the number of articles in issues.
If the number of publications in a journal has increased significantly recently, this is already a warning sign.
4. Checking reviews about the magazine on Scimago.com.
Very often, if a journal is unscrupulous, scientists leave negative comments about it.
5. Quality control of journal articles.
Look at the articles from the last 3-4 issues. If they have 5-6 full pages and only 5-10 poor-quality or incorrectly formatted sources, that's a bad sign.
Conclusions:
Recently, the problem of publications in predatory journals has become increasingly relevant for Ukrainian scientists. The requirements for mandatory publication in high-percentile journals force many researchers to look for quick and convenient options, which often leads to cooperation with unscrupulous publishers. The main danger of such journals is that they may lose indexing, which as a result deprives scientists of published results, as well as wasted money and time. To avoid falling into predatory publications, it is necessary to critically evaluate the invitations received, analyze the correspondence of the journal to its thematic direction, check the number of articles in issues, read reviews on specialized platforms and evaluate the quality of already published materials. Following these simple recommendations will help researchers maintain their reputation and ensure the quality of their own scientific publications.
