How reliable and useful is Cabell’s Blacklist ? A data-driven analysis

In scholarly publishing, blacklists aim to register fraudulent or deceptive journals and publishers, also known as “predatory”, to minimise the spread of unreliable research and the growing of fake publishing outlets. However, blacklisting remains a very controversial activity for several reasons. Cabell’s paywalled blacklist service attempts to review fraudulent journals on the basis of transparent criteria and to provide allegedly up-to-date information at the journal entry level. A team of academic librarians  tested Cabell’s blacklist to analyse whether or not it could be adopted as a reliable tool by stakeholders in scholarly communication. They expose their methodology and conclude with recommendations and suggestions that could help improve Cabell’s blacklist service.