Library Web Site: Journal Quality & Metrics Guide: Journal Quality & Metrics

Journal Quality & Metrics
- Identifying Predatory Journals
- Checking Journal Article Quality

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Identifying Predatory Journals

Resources for Identifying Predatory Journals

Definition: “Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.” (Definition provided by Nature)

More information about predatory journals can be found on the Elsevier website at:
"Predatory” vs trustworthy journals: What do they mean for the integrity of science?"
The most authoritative and comprehensive list of predatory journals is published by Cabells. More information about Cabells Predatory Reports can be found here: https://www2.cabells.com/about-predatory
Partial lists of predatory journals can be found without a subscription at:
- Beall's List of Potential Predatory Journals and Publishers
- Stop Predatory Journals

Checking Journal Article Quality

Resources for Checking the Quality of Journal Articles

Cabells Directories This link opens in a new window
Cabells is a subscription directory source from the MSJ Library collection for journal info, evaluation metrics, and submission details-for universities of any size. Tools include " Journalytics" and "Predatory Journals" reports.
LibKey BrowZine This link opens in a new window
A visual list of journals in the MSJ Library collections along with selected open access journals. Helpful to researchers & instructors is a feature that ranks top journals in each subject area.
Web of Science (Citation Databases) This link opens in a new window
This database is part of the MSJ Library A-Z Databases. Use Web of Science to search for a journal's or article's metrics--any instances of where a journal article has been cited in other publications. You can also check a journal’s impact factor in Web of Science by conducting a “cited work” search. A “cited title” search allows you to search by title for a specific journal article and see a list of other publications that have cited the article. You can also conduct an author search to see the instances where an author’s publications have been cited. More information about using Web of Science to conduct cited references searches can be found in this guide.

Scimago
Provides free access to journal impact ratings and other metrics. You can also view a journal’s ranking in comparison to other journals in the same subject area.
Scopus Preview
Provides limited, free access to the Scopus citation database published by Elsevier. In preview mode you can see a journal’s “Citescore” and other metrics. You can also view a journal’s rank in comparison with other journals in the same subject area.
Google Scholar
Provides a list of “Cited By” references for a journal article. Search for a journal article title and click on the “Cited by” link directly under the article citation to view a list of cited references.
COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics
An organization that promotes “integrity in scholarly research and its publication.” COPE seeks to establish best practices and ethical guidance to its members. COPE maintains a searchable database of its members, and the database can be searched by journal title or publisher.

Full Text Publications Finder (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Use this tool to check if the journal is indexed in a relevant, subject-specific database. (Sometimes the publisher’s website will list where a journal is indexed.) Use this tool also if you want to check if a journal is available full text in one of the databases in the MSJ Library collection.

Publisher’s website
Use a search engine (e.g., Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing) to search with a journal title as your keywords to find the publisher’s website. On the publisher’s website, look for the journal’s editorial policy, editor’s credentials, etc.
Interlibrary Loan Request
If you cannot find a copy of an article you’re looking for, use the online form to complete an ILL request and submit to the MSJ Library.

Questions? Email a Librarian!

Journal Quality & Metrics Guide

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Identifying Predatory Journals

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