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
(Note: This requires a subscription, which the Mount library does not currently provide).
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

Web of Science (Citation Databases)
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)
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.
Cabells
Cabells provides a database of journal publication metrics called Journalytics (formerly known as Cabells Whitelist). This database provides metrics such as a journal’s acceptance rate, citation metrics, etc. The Mount does not currently provide a subscription to Journalytics. However, the University of Cincinnati’s Langsam Library and Xavier’s Main Library both provide on-campus guest access to Cabells. Since UC and Xavier are fellow OhioLINK members, Mount faculty have guest privileges at both libraries. If you decide to visit either library in-person, be sure to call ahead to double check hours and policies. Also be prepared to bring and present your MSJ AllCard.

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Journal Quality & Metrics Guide

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Identifying Predatory Journals

Checking Journal Article Quality

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