Predatory journals in Africa are best caught by checking editorial practice, fee demands and indexing claims before you submit, not by trusting a name list. Use a structured checklist, and confirm any DOAJ claim at the directory itself.
This page sits within our guide to african academic journals. It gives no list of named titles. It sets out the evidence, the warning signs and the routes open to authors, and it points to how to check if an african journal is legitimate for a fuller walkthrough.
What counts as predatory publishing
Predatory publishing describes journals and publishers that put income ahead of scholarship. A Delphi consensus study published in 2020 notes that these journals often fail to follow usual publication practice, including peer review and editorial oversight. The same study says they are motivated to accept as many articles as possible to profit from article processing charges, and that they threaten legitimate open access journals.
Until that study, no agreed definition of a predatory journal existed. The researchers surveyed 115 individuals: 107 in the first round and 45 in the later rounds. They reached consensus on 18 of 33 candidate items for a definition. The practical meaning is that the line between a poor journal and a predatory one is still partly a judgement. Good checks therefore look at behaviour, not at a label.
An academic journal that claims to be indexed in a trusted database is not automatically safe either. The Delphi authors report that predatory journals are also finding their way into trusted sources such as PubMed.
What published research says about African authors
African authors have been the subject of several published studies, and they show a pattern of concern rather than a single headline figure. A South African study by Mouton and Valentine, from 2017, examined the extent of South African authored articles in predatory journals. Ajuwon and Ajuwon discussed predatory publishing and the dilemma of the Nigerian academic in the African Journal of Biomedical Research in 2018. Atiso, Kammer and Bossaller described the Ghana experience in the IFLA Journal in 2019, as a call to action for information professionals.
For prevalence estimates, read the original papers and check their sample and method. No agreed definition existed before the 2020 consensus, so earlier counts depend on whichever criteria each team chose. Stellenbosch University’s CREST also notes that the rise of predatory journals has made choosing the most appropriate journal more difficult. The central challenge is telling a genuine journal from a possibly predatory one.
This page does not reproduce lists of named journals. Beall’s list, for example, was archived as at 31 December 2016, and a list frozen at a date cannot reflect later changes. Judging each journal by what it does today is more reliable than matching names against an old list.
Warning signs to weigh
The signs below are not ranked, because the evidence does not put them in order. Treat each as a reason to look harder. A single sign rarely settles the matter, but several together should stop a submission.
Missing peer review and editorial oversight
This sign matters most, because it goes to what a journal is for. The Delphi study identifies failure to follow peer review and editorial oversight as typical of predatory journals. Look for a described review process, named editors with real affiliations, and evidence that published articles passed through revision. A promise of very fast acceptance sits badly with that process. A journal that cannot show any of these deserves no submission.
Fees that drive the business
An article processing charge is not wrong in itself, since many legitimate open access journals use them. The warning sign is a journal motivated to accept as many articles as possible to profit from those charges. Ask what you are paying for and when the charge is disclosed. Be cautious if payment is requested before any editorial decision, or if the fee is unclear until after acceptance.
Unsolicited invitations
Researchers often meet predatory publishers first through an email asking for a manuscript. Flattering wording and short deadlines are common in such messages. A cold invitation is not proof of anything, but it should start your checking rather than end it. Look the journal up independently instead of following links in the message.
Indexing claims that do not hold
Some journals say they are indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) when they are not, according to the University of the Witwatersrand library guide. Never accept a logo or a sentence on a journal’s own site as proof. Search the directory yourself and confirm that the title and publisher match. Remember too that a presence in PubMed is not a guarantee of quality, given the Delphi finding above.
Website claims and scope
A professional-looking site is cheap to build and says little about editorial quality. Compare the stated subject scope with the editorial board’s expertise and with the articles already published. A mismatch is a reason to ask questions. This is a judgement call rather than a tested rule, so combine it with the signs above.
Checking a publisher before you submit
Checking works best as a short routine run before any manuscript leaves your hands. The Delphi authors recommended developing a single checklist to detect predatory journals and publishers, which shows that no one tool is yet accepted as the standard. In the meantime, the Wits library points authors to the Be iNFORMEd checklist, which assesses the quality of a journal or publisher.
Wits also advises that you select a reputable, accredited open access journal before publishing by the gold route. That matters because paying an article processing charge to the wrong publisher is hard to undo. Our guide to open access african journals covers legitimate options in more detail.
A sensible routine runs in this order. First, find the journal in an independent directory instead of relying on its own claims. Second, read the peer review and fee statements. Third, apply a recognised checklist. Finally, ask your institution’s librarian if any doubt remains. Stop at the first serious failure.
Comparing the checks
| Check | What it tests | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Independent directory search | Whether a claimed DOAJ listing is real | Run first, before reading any other claim |
| Peer review and editorial statement | Whether standard practice is followed | Decisive: a journal without it should not receive a manuscript |
| Fee disclosure | Whether income, not scholarship, drives acceptance | Ask before submission, not after acceptance |
| Be iNFORMEd checklist | Overall journal or publisher quality | Use for borderline titles that pass the quick checks |
| Librarian advice | Local knowledge and institutional policy | Use when two checks disagree |
The checks draw on the Wits library guide and the Delphi consensus study, and the order is a suggested workflow, not a ranking from either source.
Reporting and what to do after submitting
Reporting starts close to home. If a journal has contacted you, or you have already submitted, tell your institution’s library or research office. They can advise on your next step and may track the publisher. Keep copies of the invitation, the website pages and any invoice. These records help whoever you report to.
For guidance on how publishing ethics bodies view the problem, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) published a discussion document on predatory publishing in 2019, listed in the Wits library guide. It is a reading list item, not a complaints route, so use it for background and use your institution for action. Do not pay any further invoice until you have taken advice.
Frequently asked questions
What are predatory journals and how common are they in Africa?
They are journals that skip practices such as peer review while seeking article processing charges. Studies on South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana show African authors are affected, but read each study for its own sample and method before quoting a rate.
Does a PubMed listing prove a journal is legitimate?
No. The Delphi study reports that predatory journals are finding their way into trusted sources such as PubMed, so treat indexing as one signal among several.
Is an old blacklist enough to check a publisher?
No. Beall’s list was archived as at 31 December 2016, so it cannot show later changes. Check the journal’s current practice and use a checklist instead.
Who should I tell if I suspect a journal is predatory?
Start with your institution’s librarian or research office. They can advise on your manuscript and on any payment you have been asked to make.