Table 1
Recommendations
| Recommendations | Warnings that alert predatory behaviours |
| 1. Read the journal’s focus and scope to confirm whether their published articles do match the stated scope | Claiming a wide scope with articles accepted from any topics |
| Advertising international scope, but with articles published mainly by local authors and on local topics | |
| References cited are not related to the scope of the article published | |
| 2. Look closely at the journal and its publisher to make sure they have good credentials among the research communities | Misleading information: Impact Factors displayed from unknown or nonstandard services |
| False claims to be affiliated or listed in legitimate industry organizations such as the DOAJ, COPE, DORA etc. /societies/universities that fail verification | |
| Displaying an ambiguous or fabricated ‘western’ address to pose as an international publisher | |
| Geographic location of the publisher is different from the editorial board | |
| Lack of transparency in the publisher information about the ownership and business models | |
| 3. Investigate the journal’s editorial boards or other advisory bodies to verify if they are experts in the subject areas stated in the journal’s aims and scope | The expertise of the editorial boards fails to match the scope of the journal |
| Editorial board members listed cannot be verified with the provided credentials | |
| Editorial board members are listed without their knowledge | |
| Multidisciplinary scope but with an editorial board that is not sufficient to review all areas | |
| Claiming an international focus with no international editorial board members | |
| 4. Assess the quality of the journal’s website. It should be clear, easy to navigate and contain the required information accessible from the homepage | Missing or unclear information on the journal’s website about editorial process, author charges, contact details, publication ethics, etc. |
| Intrusive advertising: not related to the focus of journal | |
| 5. Read author guidelines with particular attention to the journal’s peer review policy and check the content the journal publishes for quality and relevance to your research field | Claiming quick process for reviewing articles |
| Publishing articles of suspicious qualities, such as out of scope and plagiarized contents | |
| 6. Check the other services the publisher makes available to the authors | Organizing conferences with promised publication in their own journals |
| Offering paper editing services for authors with guaranteed publications in their own journals |