PhDGujarat
Statistics laboratory · free forever · P1

Predatory journal red-flag scorer

Twelve checks against a journal website and its claimed indexing. Run it before you pay any submission fee.

Twelve checks

Tick everything that is true of the journal you are considering. Nothing is saved.

Nothing ticked Red flags

0 / 12

Work through the list on the left with the journal's website open.

Why each one matters
  • Tick an item to see the reasoning

Before you pay any submission fee

  • Verify indexing at the source. Search Scopus and Web of Science directly. A badge on the journal's own website proves nothing.
  • Check the current UGC-CARE list yourself. Journals are delisted, and a delisting after you publish can still count against you.
  • Ask your guide and one other supervisor. In most disciplines the reputable outlets are well known to anyone who has been publishing for a decade.
  • Publishing in a predatory journal is usually irreversible. You cannot withdraw the paper to submit it properly elsewhere, because it has already been published.

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