Changing publishing models, including the rise of open access journals, have reshaped the ways in which scholars share and use journal articles. The author-pays model of some open access publications did not give rise to predatory or vanity publishing as is often claimed nor are such problems exclusive to open access publishing. Even traditional subscription journals should be carefully analyzed for quality. Librarians should be aware of the various quality indicators and tools that are available for use by their constituents in evaluating potential places of publication.
Source: ACRL Scholarly Communication Toolkit: Evaluating Journals
Journal Evaluation Tool
The changing mechanisms of scholarly publishing may make it difficult for you to determine where to publish the results of your research or creative works. In order to assist you in making the best decisions for your work, and to avoid journals that may not be credible, the William H. Hannon Library has developed a rubric for the evaluation of journals. Our focus during the development of this tool was specifically to address the concerns of our Loyola Marymount University faculty about Open Access journals, but this rubric may be applied more broadly to any kind of journal.
Think.Check.Submit
A coalition of scholarly publishers and associations collaborated to create this short checklist for authors to refer to when evaluating a journal as a possible place of publication for his research. By asking a few short questions and evaluating the journal according to the checklist, authors can be assured that the journal they are considering, whether subscription based or open access, will be one of quality, rigor, and respect.
​Cabells Journal
A list of journals blacklisted for their predatory, non-credible business models and publishing practices
Scopus provides cite score metrics for indexed journals.
UlrichsWeb Global Serials Directory provides publisher information, open access status, and databases where listed journals are indexed.
Review slides from Library workshop offered on Evaluating Credibility Of Open Access Journals
Shilpa Rele, Scholarly Communication Librarian and Data Curation Librarian
Dan Kipnis, Life Sciences Librarian
Learning Outcomes:
Learn the importance of open access publishing
Learn some strategies for identifying (top) journals for publication
Learn about what to look for in identifying and avoiding predatory publishers
Be introduced to resources to help with evaluating open access journals