Avoiding Predatory Publishing in the AI Era

How researchers can recognize deceptive journals, fake metrics, AI-generated invitations, and unreliable peer-review claims.

The old warning signs still apply

Predatory publishing still relies on urgency, vague scope, fake indexing, weak editorial boards, unclear fees, and promises of guaranteed acceptance. AI has made the emails and websites look more polished, but the underlying signs remain visible.

Check the claims

Verify indexing directly in the database, not only on the journal website. Check whether editors are real and aware of their role. Review previous articles for quality. Look for clear APC information, peer-review policy, ethics policy, contact details, and publisher identity.

AI-generated invitations

Researchers now receive flattering calls for papers that may be AI-written and personalized from scraped profiles. A personalized invitation is not proof of credibility. Treat it as a lead to investigate, not as evidence that the journal is suitable.

Protect your work

Choose journals that are transparent about ownership, review, fees, licenses, archiving, corrections, and indexing status. When in doubt, ask a mentor, librarian, institutional research office, or trusted publisher before submitting.

Further reading

• Think. Check. Submit.
• COPE
• DOAJ Guide