Where did Jeffrey Beall’s List of Predatory Publishers Go?

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In mid-January, there was a flurry of emails on several librarian discussions lists all sharing the same information – Jeffery Beall’s list of predatory publishers will no longer be available on his website.

According to several news items, it was Jeffrey Beall’s own decision to take down the list and cease publication of his well-known site. Mr. Beall had been compiling his list since 2008, publicizing the names of journals and publishers that could be considered outside of the realm of credible scholarly publishing.  There are also rumors circulating that Cabell’s might take over where Beall left off, however, this remains to be seen and so perhaps the subject of a future post.

Jeffrey Beall’s list was a good resource but one should not negate the benefits of seeking the guidance of a librarian when evaluating a journal or scholarly publisher. Should an author question the validity of a journal or have concerns that an invitation to publish might be from an unscrupulous publisher, they should be aware of where they can go for help. Librarians support the scholarly communication process and can assist researchers– whether they are just beginning their publishing careers or seasoned authors and beyond.

I have written several posts in the past regarding this topic. Last year’s post, entitled “So You Want to Publish a Research Paper: Reflections on Predatory Publishers” focused on ten steps written by Dr. Morley to aid in spotting a publisher an author might want to avoid.  I also added two of my own steps which I felt were important to share.

Curious to learn more about the abrupt departure of Beall’s Predatory Publishers’ List?  Then, the following news items will be of interest:

As a friendly reminder, MSK authors who are unsure about a publisher’s solicitation or want to know more about a particular journal title should not hesitate to ASK US. Library staff would be happy to investigate the journal title in question in order to help establish if it might qualify as deceptive/predatory or if it is just a new fledging title on its way to making a name for itself!

Donna Gibson
Director of Library Services