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.
