Journal Quality & Metrics Guide

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?"
• Predatory Journals: What They Are and How to Avoid Them
  A helpful and succinct article on identifying predatory journals. 
• The most authoritative and comprehensive list of predatory journals is published by Cabells. Refer to the criteria for Cabells Predatory Reports. 
• A partial list of predatory journals can be found without a subscription at: Beall's List of Potential Predatory Journals and Publishers

Resources for Checking Journal Article Quality

What is a Retraction?

Sometimes articles are retracted or withdrawn after they have been published. Reasons for retractions can include flawed or erroneous data, failure to disclose conflict of interests, plagiarism, false citations, infringement on professional ethics, and authorship issues. Additionally, publishers or authors of articles will request a retraction if they realized there was a data mistake and they don’t want others to utilize their faulty work. Retractions can occur in any publication, and retractions are a reflection on the article, not necessarily the publication outlet.

Types of Retractions:

• Official Retraction Notice - a publisher’s statement about the article being retracted and any additional information. Generally, can be found on the publisher’s website.
• Second Order Retractions - This is when the references (cited resources) within a published article have been retracted.
  • Sometimes there are works that have been retracted and they are still cited after the retraction. Some examples can be found in this Retraction Watch Table
• Expression of Concern (EOC) - issued by the journal or its editors when concerns are raised about an article’s findings or methodology. This can be the first step in a full retraction or simply a clarifying note to future readers.

LibKey tools (provided free to MSJ Library patrons) will identify:

• Retracted Articles and alerts of Secondary Order
• Articles with Expressions of Concern
• LibKey’s three sources of data for retractions are RetractionWatch.com, CrossRef's Crossmark service and PubMed's data