If you’re a student or a researcher, you might find it necessary to publish your research papers in reputable journals. During this journey, you may have encountered Scopus Indexed or Web of Science Indexed journals. It’s worth noting that there is currently a proliferation of fake and cloned Scopus indexed journals being circulated in Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Be cautious and verify the authenticity of these publications before submitting your work to them.
In this post, we’ll delve into the world of journals and magazines, showing you how to identify them and protect yourself from the emerging internet-based fraud.
What does it mean for a journal to be Scopus Indexed?
Scopus is a vast database containing a wide range of journals and periodicals covering various subjects. Journals featured on Scopus are generally recognized as high-quality and are frequently recommended by universities to fulfill academic and research needs.
What exactly is a cloned journal?
Well, a cloned journal is a publication whose website is basically a duplicate of the original journal’s website. In other words, the cloned website looks identical to the original one. However, there’s a catch – the papers published on the cloned website are different.
It’s worth noting that some individuals actively promote these cloned Scopus-indexed journals in various online groups like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook. As a researcher, it’s essential to stay informed about this practice.
How can one identify Scopus-indexed journals that have been cloned?
- Please visit scopus.com, which is the official website of Scopus.
- Once there, you can find the journal’s name and ISSN.
- You should also verify the link to the journal’s homepage on the Scopus website. This link will take you to the journal’s genuine website.
- It’s important to note that all other websites claiming to be related to Scopus are likely to be fake clones.
Researchers sometimes find that journal website links on Scopus may lead to clone sites. Scopus actively monitors and removes these to maintain accuracy.
When you’re searching through journals, emphasizing certain points can help you easily spot clone and predatory publications.
- To perform an ISSN check, you can visit issn.org. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating a journal:
- Frequency of Publication: Examine how often the journal is published. Typically, reputable journals have regular publication schedules.
- Number of Papers Published in Each Issue: Check the number of papers in each journal issue. Well-regarded journals usually feature an average of 20 to 30 papers per issue. If there are too many, it may raise questions.
- Journal’s Editorial Board: Investigate the editorial board. Be cautious if email IDs of editorial board members are not provided, or if you notice irrelevant names and designations added to the board without their consent.
- Journal Editorial Office: Verify if the journal provides detailed office addresses. Predatory journals often only offer email addresses, contact numbers, or contact forms, which can be a red flag.
- Availability of Necessary Information on the Home Page: Ensure that the journal’s website displays essential information about its scope, peer-review process, and publication policies.
- Rapid Publication Promises: Be wary of journals that claim to publish papers in an extraordinarily short time, such as 3 or 5 days. Such promises may indicate a lack of proper peer-review processes.
- By carefully considering these factors, you can make a more informed decision when submitting your work to a journal.
Do not choose any journal from Facebook group posts
As we mentioned earlier, there’s a proliferation of Facebook groups that endorse clone journals and counterfeit Scopus-indexed publications. As a budding researcher, it’s crucial to be cautious, as you could easily fall into their snare.
Therefore, it’s wise not to opt for journals that make extravagant promises of swift publication, such as claiming to publish your work in just 5 or 30 days in Scopus-indexed journals. These claims often turn out to be misleading.