How reliable is Frontiers?

Frontiers is a large, open-access publisher with mixed reviews: it's accredited by major bodies like COPE and has many indexed journals, suggesting legitimacy, but it has faced criticism for perceived predatory practices like rapid publication, high article processing charges (APCs), and past negative ratings (e.g., Norway's "level 0"), though some of these criticisms stem from misleading "predatory" lists. While you can find quality research within Frontiers, its reliability is debated, with some academics warning about potential pressure to publish quickly and concerns about ethical lapses in handling retractions, contrasting with its claims of rigorous peer review.

Is Frontiers a trusted website?

As of 2023, Frontiers Media receives an institutional-level rating of "level 0" in the Norwegian Scientific Index, a rating it kept since 2018, indicating that the publisher is "not academic", however individual Frontiers journals have separate journal-level ratings.

Is Frontiers in Psychology a credible source?

Since 2016, the journal has a score of 2 in the Norwegian Scientific Index, which "covers the most prestigious and rigorous channels".

Why are Frontiers considered predatory?

The manifesto also says that Frontiers staff interfere with editorial decisions, for instance by moving manuscripts from one editor to another to accelerate review, inviting authors to write a commentary without the knowledge of editors, and sometimes "deliberately overriding" editorial decisions.

What is the rejection rate for Frontiers?

Submissions, acceptances, and rejections

Our peer review is designed to be thorough and efficient, so you receive a fair decision on your manuscript as soon as possible. In 2022 the rejection rate for articles was on average 40% across all Frontiers journals, and as high as 79% in some journals.

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How prestigious is Frontiers?

Highly visible, highly cited research

There is an innovator in every corner of the globe. Articles published with Frontiers have been viewed and downloaded 4 billion times and cited 12 million times, demonstrating the power of research that is open for all.

Is 4.8 a good impact factor?

Yes, a 4.8 impact factor is generally considered very good, often placing a journal in the top quartile (Q1) for its field, though its quality depends on the specific academic discipline, as impact factors vary significantly between fields like medicine vs. humanities. It signifies high citation rates, suggesting influence and quality, but should be viewed relative to other journals in the same subject category, not in isolation. 

What are the downsides of frontier?

"Frontier cons" usually refer to Frontier Airlines' lack of amenities and extra fees for everything, leading to cramped, uncomfortable flights, or the Nissan Frontier truck's outdated interior, bumpy ride, and small rear seats, despite its capable engine and decent value for basic utility. The airline's cons involve high ancillary charges and low reliability, while the truck's drawbacks center on passenger comfort, older tech, and a less refined driving feel compared to rivals.
 

Are MDPI and Frontiers predatory?

Because there are so many opinions on this matter, I am sharing the reasons why PredatoryJournals.org and Beall classified MDPI as a quasi-predatory publisher, while Frontiers is considered fully predatory.

Why do people not like Frontier Airlines?

It appears that Frontier Airlines has become known not only for its poor customer service and mistreatment of flight attendants, but also for reports that gate agents have been instructed or incentivized to aggressively enforce carry-on baggage policies, sometimes to the point of harassing passengers, according to ...

What are the ethical concerns about Frontiers?

Frontiers Research Integrity Auditing team has uncovered a network of authors and editors who conducted peer review with undisclosed conflicts of interest and who have engaged in citation manipulation.

Is 2.5 a good impact factor for a journal?

Yes, a 2.5 impact factor (IF) is generally considered good or decent, falling into the respectable range for many fields, though it's not "top-tier" like journals with IFs of 10+; it signifies that articles in that journal are cited reasonably often, but its actual quality depends heavily on the specific research discipline, as averages vary significantly.
 

What is the most respected psychology journal?

The most respected psychology journals often include Psychological Bulletin, Psychological Review, and Psychological Science, known for high impact and major theoretical contributions, alongside specialized top-tier journals like the Annual Review of Psychology (for broad overviews) and field-specific leaders like the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP) or Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP), with reputation often judged by citation impact (like h5-index) and publisher (like the APA). 

Does Frontiers in Psychology have a good reputation?

95% of researchers rate the quality of our articles as good or excellent. Our unique approach to research integrity combines the expertise of editorial boards, the rigour of our peer review teams, and the speed and precision of AI to uphold the highest quality standards.

Is Frontier research legit?

Frontiers is accredited by and is a member of major publishing regulatory and ethical organizations, adhering to the highest quality standards and best ethical practices. These include COPE, OASPA - Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association, and DOAJ - Directory of Open Access Journals.

How to check if a journal is predatory?

Characteristics of Predatory Journals

1. E-mailed invitations to submit an article. ...
2. Journal's name is suspiciously similar to a prominent journal in the field.
3. Misleading geographic information in the title. ...
4. Website appearance. ...
5. Broad aim and scope. ...
6. Insufficient contact information. ...
7. Lack of editors or an editorial board.

Is Frontiers a predatory publisher?

All Frontiers journals are published under a Creative Commons Attribution License. In 2015, Frontiers Media was classified as a possible predatory publisher by Jeffrey Beall.

Why do people still publish in MDPI?

The one upside to MDPI is that people who publish in it are typically early-career and desperate for collaborators to help build up their own research profile.

Is MDPI predatory in 2025?

Some journals published by MDPI have also been noted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Norwegian Scientific Index for lack of rigor and possible predatory practices, as of 2025, CAS no longer lists any MDPI journals on its Early Warning List.

Why is Frontier struggling?

Frontier Airlines is struggling due to a combination of factors common to ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs): rising operating costs post-pandemic, intense competition, an oversupply of flights on key routes suppressing fares, and shifts in customer demand toward more upscale travel, leading to inconsistent profitability and recent financial losses, prompting leadership changes and network adjustments.
 

How safe is Frontier?

According to the AirAdvisor Airline Safety Score, Allegiant, American, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit Airlines are all the safest. Each had a perfect accident record in 2023 and 2024 with no reported incidents based on data from IATA.

Can impact factor be manipulated?

However, impact factors may be manipulated by editors. According to the ex- planatory statements and announcements made by the authors submitting their work to the journals, the impact factor is still being di- rectly manipulated [4–6].

Is an impact score of 30 good?

Impact scores run from 10 to 90, where 10 is best. Generally speaking, impact/priority scores of 10 to 30 are most likely to be funded; scores between 31 and 45 might be funded; scores greater than 46 are rarely funded.