Outwitting the Fox

An introduction to predatory publishing, its controversies, and how to navigate the wilds of scholarly communication

The open access model offers efficiency in the publishing process and promises better visibility and discoverability for research. Many scientists, however, have expressed concern over its susceptibility to exploitation by publishers trying to earn faster and higher revenue by pumping out an endless stream of articles regardless of their scientific quality while charging their authors exorbitant fees for the privilege of being published. These predatory publishers threaten the integrity of science, but will do whatever it takes to shield themselves from public exposure.

This article series explores the origins of predatory publishing, the attempts to expose them, the resulting controversy, why this discussion matters, and what authors can do to outsmart the predators snapping at their heels.