What are the five predatory mega journals a review?

A significant 2013 review identified five early predatory mega-journals copying the successful PLOS ONE model: British Journal of Science, International Journal of Current Research, International Journal of Science and Advanced Technology (IJSAT), International Journal of Sciences (IJSciences), and World Journal of Science and Technology, all known for broad scope to attract article fees with minimal effort, though predatory landscape evolves.

Are there lists of predatory journals?

The DOAJ is a list of quality open-access publishers. It conducts quality checks and regularly purges the list of suspected predatory journals.

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. 

Which journals publish negative results?

Negative Results

• All Results Journals. The main objective focuses on recovering and publishing negative results ... ...
• Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis. ...
• Journal of Interesting Negative Results. ...
• Journal of Negative Results in Biomedicine. ...
• Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results. ...
• Organic Chemistry Portal.

Is Mdpi a predatory publisher?

As of 2020, MDPI was the largest publisher of open access papers in the world and the 5th largest publisher overall in terms of journal paper output. MDPI was included on Jeffrey Beall's list of predatory open access publishing companies in February 2014.

How predatory academic journals endanger science | Bradley Allf | TEDxNCState

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.

Which is better, Elsevier or MDPI?

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.

How do you check if a journal is predatory or not?

Ways to Identify Predatory Journals

1. Rapid publication is promised.
2. The homepage language targets authors.
3. The journal does not have clear policies on retraction, corrections/errata, or plagiarism (see the ICMJE Recommendations for more detailed discussion about best practices)

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 journals are trustworthy?

List of Reputable Journals to Publish Your Paper

• International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR) ...
• International Journal of Formal Sciences: Current and Future Research Trends. ...
• International Journal of Social Sciences: Current and Future Research Trends.

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.

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.

Is MDPI removed from web of science?

Web of Science excludes individual journals - e.g. from MDPI

The MDPI journal International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), for example, no longer meets the "content relevance" criterion for indexing in Web of Science, according to Clarivate.

What are the red flags of predatory publishing?

It may have typos or grammatical errors, feature distorted or watermarked images, lack an about page or contact information, or fail to list any affiliated organizations or publishers. The journal's editorial board is nonsensical or nonexistent.

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.

Can a Scopus journal be predatory?

The study maps the penetration of so-called “predatory” scholarly journals into the citation database Scopus. Predatory journals exploit the author pays open access model, and conduct only cursory or no peer review, despite claims to the contrary.

Can the 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].

What is a "predatory" journal?

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

What is Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 journal ranking?

Journal quartiles (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) rank journals within a specific subject category, dividing them into four equal groups: Q1 is the top 25% (highest impact), Q2 is the 25th-50th percentile, Q3 is the 50th-75th percentile, and Q4 is the bottom 25% (lowest impact), with higher quartiles indicating greater prestige, visibility, and stricter review processes, often determined by metrics like Journal Impact Factor or SJR (SCImago Journal Rank).
 

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.
 

Which feature is commonly found in predatory journals that can be detected using the Beall's List website?

Salient features of potential predatory biomed journals

• The scope of interest includes non-biomedical subjects alongside biomedical topics.
• The website contains spelling and grammar errors.
• Images are distorted/fuzzy, intended to look like something they are not, or which are unauthorized.

What are some examples of predatory journals?

Original list

• 1088 Email Press.
• 2425 Publishers.
• The 5th Publisher.
• ABC Journals.
• A M Publishers.
• Abhinav.
• Academe Research Journals.
• Academia Publishing.

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.

What is the Elsevier controversy?

Elsevier controversies center on its high journal prices, "double-dipping" subscription/open-access fees, and perceived unethical business practices, leading to boycotts (like the UC system's) and mass editorial resignations. Researchers protest unpaid peer review, author rights, and perceived lack of quality control despite high fees, with ongoing concerns about climate-related data services and potential manipulation in peer review.