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Predatory (vs. Professional) Publishing

This guide is designed to help CSUN faculty navigate scholarly publishing, such as to determine which journals to publish in and/or serve on editorial boards.

Conference assessment tool

Conference Evaluation Tool

This decision-making tool empowers scholars to come to an informed conclusion as to whether a conference opportunity is reputable or predatory.
Lopez, E., & Gaspard, C.. (2018, November 14). Conference Assessment Tool (Version 1). figshare.
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7342787.v1

Created by Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library at George Washington University.

Additional resources (list curated by George Washington University Libraries)

Signs of a predatory conference (created by George Washington University Libraries)

  • Conference Organizers and Sponsorship:
    • Is the conference sponsored by a professional organization or association? If so, does the organization/association website link to the conference website? (Predatory conferences have been known to claim to be sponsored by organizations/associations who actually have nothing to do with the conference.)
    • Is the conference supported by numerous open-access journals with which you are unfamiliar?
    • Is the conference organized by a commercial or for-profit company? Predatory conferences exist solely to make money - the goal is not to advance scholarship or research.
    • Do you recognize the people on advisory boards or conference organizing committees? Did these people actually agree to serve in this capacity? Many fake conferences claim that respected people in a specific field are on these committees when in reality, these individuals never agreed to be on these committees.
    • Are the names of the people who own or control the organization provided? 
  • Aim & Scope:
    • ​Are conference topics focused on your specific field? Are the aim and scope too broad? Often topics are extremely broad and lack focus on a specific discipline.
    • Are generic, broad terms such as "to promote scientific innovation" used in describing the purpose of the conference?
  • Agenda & Editorial Committee:
    • Are session topics relevant to your field?
    • Have you heard of the keynote speakers?
    • Is the Editorial Committee listed on the conference website? Have you heard of the Editorial Committee members?
  • Conference Location:
    • Can you easily identify the conference venue?
    • Is the conference one of many conferences on various topics? Is the conference held at multiple locations? Predatory conference organizers often operate multiple "conferences" on the same date in the same location.
    • Is the same conference offered numerous times a year in a variety of different cities?
  • Poorly Organized:
    • ​Are the conference materials and website poorly organized?
  • Website:
    • Does the website look professional and reputable? Does the website have spelling and grammar errors?
    • ​Is the conference website unclear or misleading?
    • Are technical terms spelled correctly? 
    • Are the themes current for your field?
    • Are conference proceedings from previous years available? If so, do the sessions, papers, and materials look like what you expect from a professional conference?
    • Is contact information available (including e-mail, phone, and physical address)? Be wary of websites that only provide a web form for contact and questions. 
    • Are there multiple presentations by a single person at a single conference? 
  • Invitation:
    • ​Did you receive an invitation to present at or attend the conference via email? Did the email have poor grammar, incorrect spelling, or awkward language? 
    • Was the invitation filled with flattery? Are you referred to as a "prominent," "eminent," or "world-class scholar?"
    • Is the invitation to speak on a topic within your area of expertise? Predatory conferences will often invite people to present about topics outside of their scope of expertise.
  • ​Reputation:
    • ​Is the conference well-known in your field? 
    • Have your colleagues heard of or attended this conference? 
    • Do conference papers get published in predatory journals? Do committee organizers, keynote speakers, or presenters have connections with predatory journals?
  • Peer Review Process:
    • ​Is there a peer review process for submitted papers and presentations? Is this peer review process clearly outlined and explained on the website? Predatory conferences rarely have legitimate peer review processes.
    • Does the conference promise quick acceptance of conference papers or abstracts? Some conferences accept abstracts in as little as 24 hours' time. Legitimate peer review of submitted abstracts and papers cannot be completed within a 24-hour time period.
    • Is the peer review independent? Or do the conference organizer, owner, or employees review submissions?
    • Have fake papers (machine-generated or "sting" papers) been accepted to past conferences?
  • Conference Fees:
    • ​Are conference fees similar to other conference fees? Are the fees higher than other conferences?
    • Do presenters pay more than attendees?

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