New Tool Helps Identify Predatory and Problematic Journals

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We’re making it easier to spot predatory or problematic journals and articles in the UWSP Libraries resources!  Thanks to a new subscription to the Cabells Predatory Reports database, there are now two benefits when using the libraries’ resources. Cabells evaluates journals based on approximately 74 publishing behaviors. If a journal has misleading metrics, deceptive research, suspicious peer review, irregular publication practices, or other red flags, Cabells may list it in Predatory Reports.

How It Works: 

First, you will now have direct access to the listing of academic journals that Cabells Publishing has evaluated and found troubling characteristics. If you are thinking of publishing your research article in a particular journal and aren’t sure if it is credible, now you can check Cabells Predatory Reports to see if your journal has been listed. Or maybe you’ve read an article that you aren’t sure is credible. You can search for the journal in Cabells Predatory Reports to see if it is listed. Clicking on the journal entry in Predatory Reports will provide more details of the troubling behavior(s) or characteristic(s) that the journal exhibits.

Second, by integrating the problematic journals listed in Cabells Predatory Reports with the libraries’ catalog, when an article published in one of these listed journals shows up in search results list, you’ll now see a “Problematic Journal” message.  


Also, if you are searching on the open web and have installed the LibKey Nomad extension on your browser, if you come across a journal listed on Cabells Predatory Reports, a “Problematic Domain” message will display.  Similarly, if you discover an article published in a problematic journal, a “Problematic Journal” message will display.


Why This Matters

The rise of deceptive publishing practices threatens the integrity of scholarly research. These problematic journals may:
✅ Fail to provide proper peer review or promised editorial services
✅ Spread misinformation or misleading claims
✅ Harm scholars’ reputations by associating them with low-quality research
✅ Waste valuable resources by diverting funding and attention from legitimate studies.

We encourage faculty, students, and researchers to stay vigilant when selecting journals for publishing and citations.

Cabells Predatory Reports 

Database Description: "Search Predatory Reports to help you determine if a particular journal has been flagged as predatory by Cabells Publishing. This is a database of deceptive and predatory academic journals, curated by Cabells Publishing. Each journal is evaluated based on 74 behavioral indicators for deceptive or fraudulent business practices, misleading metrics, irregular publication practices, and other warning signs."

Need Guidance?
Visit the Open Access and Scholarly Communication Guide for tips on evaluating journals and selecting reputable sources. If you have questions or would like to incorporate this topic into your classes, contact the reference desk—we’re happy to help!

Tutorial: 


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