Background: Open-access publishing has a dark side, the predatory publishers and journals that exist for revenue rather than scholarly activity.

Objectives: This session aims to help researchers identify some of the common characteristics of predatory journals and their publishers.

Findings: Although the number of predatory publishers grew from just 18 in 2011 to 1294 in early 2017, there are several ways to avoid potentially dubious publications. The first is to check whether the journal appears on blacklists that are available on the Internet or if it has some of the following characteristics: (i) publication fees in spite of a lack of peer review or editorial oversight; (ii) unsolicited mass emails inviting submission or to serve on editorial boards; (iii) quick acceptance of low-quality papers; (iv) false information about the publisher’s location; and (v) non-existent, or misrepresented, impact factors. The second is to check if the journal appears on whitelists such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) or if it meets DOAJ seal criteria. A final approach is the use of checklists such as those on the ‘Think. Check. Submit’ website. No strategy is foolproof and the World Association of Medical Editors recommends a combination of all three.

Conclusions: If you have not heard of the journal, check bibliographic databases, tools such as Incites, and websites such as ‘Stop Predatory Journals’ or ‘Beall’s list’. In addition, do not believe the journal’s website – ask colleagues and look at indicators of journal impact. Finally, never respond to unsolicited emails.