Is it easier to publish in MDPI?

Publishing with MDPI is often perceived as easier and faster due to their rapid review and publication process, which can be advantageous for getting research out quickly, but it comes with concerns about potentially questionable review quality and questionable practices, leading to varied reputations and debates over whether it compromises academic rigor for speed and revenue. While some find their processes efficient and reviews acceptable, others point to issues like unqualified reviewers, aggressive marketing, and high Article Processing Charges (APCs), making it a trade-off between speed/volume and traditional journal prestige.

Why not publish in MDPI?

Many academics advise caution with MDPI journals, citing concerns about their "pay-to-publish" model, aggressive marketing (spammy invitations for special issues/reviews), potentially variable peer-review quality (sometimes prioritizing quantity/speed over rigor), questionable editorial practices, and a resulting mixed reputation, with some viewing them as bordering on predatory despite some journals having decent metrics like Impact Factors. While some find them useful for quick dissemination or specific reputable journals exist, others worry about career harm due to perception and metrics. 

What are the disadvantages of MDPI?

The downside is the questionable reputation which prevents many from submitting to MDPI journals at all. This can go to the extent that some would label the entire career of a researcher void if published even a single article in an MDPI journal; see Figure 4.

What is the acceptance rate for MDPI journals?

Under half of the submissions are accepted

Overall, 381,100 submissions were received in 2020, for which the rejection rate was 57%. Not all papers are appropriate for the journal, collection or Special Issue to which they have been submitted, and not all submitted research reflects MDPI's core values.

Is MDPI a respectable journal?

MDPI journals have a mixed and evolving reputation: they are known for fast, open-access publishing and high visibility but have faced past criticism for potentially weak peer review, rapid growth, and predatory accusations (though no longer officially listed as predatory). While some journals are respected (e.g., Batteries), the overall perception varies, with some academics viewing them as lower-tier or "mediocre," while MDPI emphasizes its COPE membership, DOAJ recognition, and efforts to improve standards.
 

Fastest Way to Publish in High Impact Academic Journals

Which journal has the highest acceptance rate?

Scopus Indexed Journals with High Acceptance Rate

• IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security.
• Computers & Security (Elsevier)
• Journal of Cybersecurity (Oxford University Press)
• IEEE Security & Privacy.
• ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security.
• International Journal of Information Security (Springer)

Can I publish in Mdpi for free?

No, MDPI is not free to publish for most articles; they are an open-access publisher that charges authors an Article Processing Charge (APC) after acceptance to cover costs, though some specific article types (editorials, corrections) are free, and discounts/waivers are available, especially for institutions or reviewers. While submission is free and there are no charges for rejected papers, you pay the APC if your accepted manuscript is published open access. 

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.
 

How can I improve my chances of publication?

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Published

1. Strengthen Your Manuscript. The first thing you can do to increase your chances of getting published is strengthen your manuscript. ...
2. Research the Market. ...
3. Publish Other Works. ...
4. Refine Your Query Letter. ...
5. Build Your Platform.

Is MDPI better than Elsevier?

Elsevier generally carries broader institutional prestige and long-standing credibility. MDPI offers faster, open-access visibility. Choose Elsevier for reputation and depth of peer review; choose MDPI for rapid, widely accessible publication. 2Are MDPI journals indexed in Scopus?

Is 2.7 a good impact factor?

You can find a journal's impact factor by referring to the Journal Citations Report (JCR) or Scopus. 🍋 What is an average 'good' impact factor? In general, an impact factor of 10 or higher is considered remarkable, while 3 is good, and the average score is less than 1.

Is MDPI Swiss or Chinese?

A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. Based in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI has the mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines.

How long does it take for MDPI to publish?

MDPI's Pledges to Authors and Readers

Publishing rigorously peer-reviewed manuscripts with a high scholarly impact. Maintaining quick publication—our manuscripts are published within 5–7 weeks of submission (provided that no major revision is required).

Which are the predatory journals?

Predatory journals—also called fraudulent, deceptive, or pseudo-journals—are publications that claim to be legitimate scholarly journals, but misrepresent their publishing practices.

Should you cite MDPI?

You can cite any source. Just be careful on its retraction status. There are journals published by MDPI in the first and second quartiles of Clarivate/Web of Science Master Journal List. They couldn't get there without being cited.

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].

How do I know if a journal is high impact?

Impact Factors are used to measure the importance of a journal by calculating the number of times selected articles are cited within the last few years. The higher the impact factor, the more highly ranked the journal. It is one tool you can use to compare journals in a subject category.

Is 0.6 a good impact factor?

The new impact factor of 0.6 represents a significant step forward for Health Scope and demonstrates the increasing relevance and impact of the research published in our journal.

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.

How do first time authors get published?

First-time authors typically get published traditionally by first securing a literary agent, who then pitches the manuscript to publishers; alternatively, authors can self-publish by managing editing, design, and marketing themselves via platforms like Amazon KDP, or approach smaller presses directly. The traditional route involves finishing the manuscript, querying agents with a strong query letter, getting representation, and then working with the agent and publisher on revisions and launch, a process that requires persistence and industry knowledge. 

Can I use ChatGPT for research?

Yes, you can use ChatGPT for research as a powerful assistant for brainstorming topics, outlining papers, summarizing literature, and polishing writing, but you must always fact-check its outputs and disclose its use, as it can hallucinate facts, make up citations, and isn't a substitute for original thought or rigorous academic verification. It excels at accelerating tasks like drafting sections or generating titles but requires human oversight for accuracy and originality, with journals requiring disclosure of AI use. 

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. 

Is a 20% acceptance rate good?

Highly competitive universities–those accepting between 10 and 20% of all applicants–are extremely selective in the admissions process.

Which journal takes less time to publish?

Here is the list of fast publishing Scopus-indexed journals in engineering 2025-2026:

• Journals of network and computer applications. ...
• Journal Of Electrical Systems (Jes) ...
• Journal of Engineering and Applied Science. ...
• The Journal of Object Technology (JOT) ...
• e-Informatica Software Engineering Journal.