Strategies for Distinguishing a Reputable from a Predatory Journal

Introduction: Predatory journals are seen as a global threat to science, researchers and the end users of research results. Objective: To describe the strategies for distinguishing a reputable from a predatory journal. Methods: Narrative review, based on the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles. For the search for evidence, the PubMed database was considered, justified by the guaranteed coverage rate. The data selection and extraction process were conducted by a researcher. In addition to narrative synthesis, the Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionneires (IRAMUTEQ) software was used to synthesize the data. Results: Before submitting their research results for publication in a journal, researchers should: analyze and check the characteristics of the journal; check the available lists of predatory journals and the available lists of reputable journals; use tools or platforms or checklists to check if a journal is reputable; disregard and do not subscribe to emails promising fast publications and sham conferences. Conclusion: This paper provides a practical and clear overview of the strategies for distinguishing a predatory from a reputable journal, supporting researchers to disseminate their research in a transparent and credible way. Besides educational approaches to researchers on these strategies, collaborative action between academics and editorial teams, and higher education/research policies is suggested.