Quality of Open Access journals
Why is the quality of open access journals important?
Choosing a suitable journal is essential to ensure that your research results are transparent, credible and accessible in the long term. Open access journals offer the opportunity to make scientific results freely available, but not all providers meet high quality standards. Our guidelines will help you to recognize reputable journals and avoid potential risks.
Criteria for reputable open access journals
When selecting a journal, consider the following characteristics:
- Membership in initiatives: The publisher should be a member of organizations such as the Open Access Scholarly Publishers' Association (OASPA) or the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
- Database listing: High-quality journals are listed in quality-checked directories such as the Directory of OpenAccess Journals (DOAJ) or in subject-specific databases such as PubMed.
- Transparency: Information on peer review processes, publication costs and license models (e.g.Creative Commons licenses) should be clearly communicated.
Supporting tools
Use these resources to check the quality of Open Access journals:
- Think. Check. Submit.: A checklist that allows you to evaluate journals easily and effectively.
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): A directory that lists only quality-checked Open Access journals.
Warning of predatory journals
“Predatory journals” are providers that charge fees for publications without carrying out adequate quality assurance. Look out for the following signs:
- Aggressive promotional emails.
- Lack of information on peer review processes or costs.
- Unclear contact information or imitation websites of established journals.
Help with uncertainties
If you have any doubts about the reliability of a journal, talk to colleagues or contact the USB librarians.