Topic

How to Avoid Deceptive Publishers

Who is this for?

Anyone at the University of Toronto (U of T) who wishes to publish their research as a primary or lead author and are interested in avoiding deceptive publishers and predatory journals.

What do I need before I can begin?

No information is required to begin. Please reach out to the VPRI contact listed below if you have questions regarding deceptive publishers or predatory journals.

Who are Deceptive Publishers?

‘Deceptive publishers’ (also commonly referred to as ‘predatory journals’) are for-profit entities that purport to publish high-quality academic research, but who do not follow accepted scholarly publishing best practices. Their ultimate goal is to make money, not publish quality research. A deceptive publisher may acquire the copyright to your research but never publish. A deceptive publisher may publish your work, but then disappear, resulting in the lack of a public record of your published article. Being associated with a deceptive publisher can lead to financial loss as a result of inappropriate fees and harm to your reputation.

How Can I Avoid a Deceptive Publisher?

U of T has created an informative deceptive publishers website and checklist that you can use to help identify a potentially predatory journal or deceptive publisher and avoid submitting research data to one of these entities.

Forms & Downloads

VPRI Role

  • Provide awareness to the University community about the existence of deceptive publishers
  • Work with researchers and the U of T Libraries to educate researchers on the benefits of publishing in reputable journals

VPRI Contact

Staff

Rhain Louis

Manager, Research Oversight and Compliance
Research Oversight & Compliance Office (ROCO)
(416) 946-0836

Staff

Lori Ferris

Associate Vice-President, Research Oversight and Compliance
Research Oversight & Compliance Office (ROCO)
(416) 978-2387

Other Resources

Deceptive Publishing Resources >The University of Toronto Libraries
 

Research Impact & Researcher Identity guide > The University of Toronto Libraries
 

Think. Check. Submit > Checklist to avoid deceptive publishers
 

How to Assess a Journal > Resource from Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL)
 

Think. Check. Attend > Checklist specifically developed for conferences
 

Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing > Resource from Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
 

Ulrich's Web > A U of T licensed resource with information on 300,000+ periodicals