Predatory journals’ main characteristics

Abstract

The technological development and the modernization of science socialization’s platforms have provoked, along with a greater results’ dissemination and the consequent contribution to the science’s evolution, a series of negative practices that take advantage of Open Access models for profit. The aim of this study was to identify the main features of predatory journals. A bibliographic review was made, among Google Scholar, Dialnet, SciELO y PubMed and 43 articles were selected to be analyzed. It was applied as an inclusion criterion that the studies carried out included conclusions on the main characteristics and forms of identification of predatory journals, and the main exclusion criterion was that the articles could not be downloaded. A predatory journal is one that takes advantage of the open access model, or using hybrid models, charges authors for the release of their articles, without any review process, even when they promise it in their editorial processes. Their main objective is the earning of quick and easy money, and not the dissemination of scientific knowledge, nor contribution to science. Predatory journals are characterized by not providing data on their publishers. They make themselves known through spam mail, promising wide indexing of the text, and using a persuasive language that feeds the idea of legitimacy throughout the process. These publications give the impression of being physically located in developed countries, and usually present false or non-existent ISSN.