OA Explained & Knowing OA
Benefits of OA
OA Directories
Want to publish in OA?
Common Terminology in OA
Types of OA
Gold OA: Open Access for Global Readership
Green OA: Self-Archiving Publications
Article Version
Beware of Predatory Journals
OA Publishing Support@Lingnan
Open Access Publishing Agreements
Lingnan Open Access Publishing Support Fund 
Self-Archiving via Lingnan Scholars
Author's Rights: Why is it IMPORTANT?- –– How to Retain your Author's Rights?
- –– Author Addedum Tools
- –– More about Author's Rights
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What is Creative Commons Licenses?- –– Creative Commons License Options
- –– The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication
- –– Pre-licensing considerations
- –– How to apply a CC license or CC0 to your work
Think before submitting
Publishing in a suitable journal enables you to make an impact in your field. It is therefore crucial to think twice about your research aim and choose an established journal that suits it. With the rapid growth of academic publishers, the quality of journals vary immensely. Researchers should thoroughly check the backgrounds of journals and stay alert to predatory journals that only focus on profit-making and undermine publication standards.
The video and table below will guide you through the process of journal selection.
For more information about Think. Check. Submit.
| Indicator of a Good Journal | Indicator of a Predatory Journal | |
|---|---|---|
| Journal Reputation | Well-established and respected within the field. Often associated with well-known publishers or academic institutions | Journals with limited visibility, no publishers or academic institutions are associated. |
| Aims and Scope | Clear aims and scope align with your research | Vague or overly broad scope that encompasses unrelated or irrelevant topics |
| Peer Review Process | Transparent and rigorous peer review process | Lack of or questionable peer review process, including insufficient or superficial review |
| Editorial Board | Reputable editorial board comprising experts in the field | Unqualified or unknown editorial board members lacking expertise or authority |
| Indexing and Databases | Indexed in reputable databases and citation indexes | Not indexed or indexed in questionable databases with limited or no credibility |
| Publication Policies | Clear publication policies and reasonable publication fees | Unclear or excessive publication fees, hidden charges, or lack of transparent policies |
| Copyright and Licensing | Provides clear copyright and licensing information | Ambiguous or restrictive copyright policies that impede author rights and reuse of content |
Tools for avoiding predatory journals
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) : list of trustworthy OA journals (try to avoid those not listed in DOAJ)
- Scopus : index of reputable journals
- Journal Citation Reports (JCR) : records of journals' impact factors.
- Beall's List : list of potential predatory open‑access publishers.