Free tool · Journals
Predatory journal risk checker
Twelve yes-or-no questions that show a journal’s risk signs, with what to check next.
This checker asks twelve yes-or-no questions about a journal and shows which indicators of a predatory or hijacked journal it has, with a risk level and what to check next. The questions come from our guide on how to spot a predatory journal and from the Think. Check. Submit. checklist. Confirmation that a journal is sound comes from the official registers.
Run it when an invitation lands in your inbox, when a colleague or an agent recommends a journal you don’t know, or before you pay any publication fee. It takes about two minutes if you have the journal’s website and emails open in front of you.
Method
How this tool works
Each “yes” adds points to a score. Not every sign counts the same, because some are far stronger evidence than others:
- 3 points: the website address differs from the one in Scopus, the Master Journal List or the ISSN Portal. This is how hijacked journals work, so this answer alone puts the journal at high risk.
- 2 points each: acceptance promised within a fixed number of days, payment asked before or with acceptance, and an “impact factor” that isn’t Clarivate’s.
- 1 point each: the other eight signs, such as a flattering unsolicited email, a scope covering unrelated fields or a Gmail contact address.
A score of 4 or more shows high risk. A score of 2 or 3, or three or more “not sure” answers, shows check further, because too many unknowns means more checking is needed. Anything lower shows few risk indicators, and the result points you to the registers to confirm the journal.
Whatever the score, the result sends you to the registers. Our journal checker tests the ISSN and opens the journal’s record in the ISSN Portal, the Web of Science Master Journal List, Scopus Sources and DOAJ. Those records decide the question, not this tool. Any journal can build a professional website, but only Scopus adds journals to Scopus. Start from the register and follow its link to the journal, rather than the other way round.
Limits
What this tool can’t do
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is there a list of predatory journals?
Not one you can rely on. Beall’s list, the best known, was taken down in 2017, and the copies still online are out of date. In India, UGC discontinued the UGC-CARE list in 2025 and kept its final version only for reference; our UGC-CARE guide explains what changed. It is safer to check positive lists, such as Scopus Sources, the Master Journal List and DOAJ, and the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker for impersonators.
I already paid. What now?
Act quickly and put everything in writing. If the paper isn’t published yet, email the journal to withdraw it, say you don’t consent to publication, and don’t sign any copyright form or pay a “withdrawal fee”. If it is already online, ask in writing for removal and keep every email, invoice and payment receipt. Contact your bank soon about a dispute, and report impersonation on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Tell your supervisor before you send the work anywhere else. Our predatory journal guide sets out each step.
Is a journal with fees predatory?
Not necessarily. Many good open access journals charge an article processing charge. What matters is how the fee works: genuine journals publish it clearly and invoice it after acceptance. Our guide to open access and APCs explains what a fair fee looks like.
What is a hijacked journal?
A website that copies the title and ISSN of a real journal, often one indexed in Scopus. The real journal knows nothing about it, and a paper “published” there never appears in the real journal or its index. Because the ISSN is genuine, it passes an ISSN check. The website address is what gives it away, which is why question 1 carries the most weight.
Is my answer stored?
The score is worked out in your browser, so your selections and the journal you were checking stay with you. Like every tool on this site, we count only that it was used.
The result says “few risk indicators”. Can I submit?
Use this result as a first step. Check the ISSN, find the journal in Scopus Sources or the Master Journal List, and compare the website address there with the one you have. Then ask your supervisor or research cell whether your university accepts the journal for your PhD.
Keep reading
Related guides and services
How to spot a predatory journal
A checklist to run before you submit anywhere — and what to do if you’ve already submitted.
Journal checker
Test a journal’s ISSN and jump straight to the official records that show whether it is really indexed.
Scopus indexing, explained
How to verify a journal in Scopus Sources step by step — and why coverage dates matter more than logos.
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