Identifying fake journals: Statement from COPE Officers

COPE believes that authors and institutions should treat lists of predatory (or fake) journals with the same degree of scrutiny as they do with the journals themselves. Lists that are not transparent about criteria used should not be relied on. Moreover, such lists may perpetuate systemic bias and include journals with limited resources but which are legitimate journals with the best intentions. COPE’s Predatory Publishing discussion document expands on how authors, reviewers, editors and institutions can identify predatory journals.