Sir, I read with interest the recent publication in the BDJ entitled 'A threat to scientific integrity'.1
There are resources available to protect researchers from falling prey to unfortunate experiences with predatory publishing practices. One such tool is ThinkCheckSubmit, which is a checklist available to be used by researchers in order to pick out journals and publishers which can be trusted.2 This checklist is available in over 40 languages.2
In India, the University Grants Commission (UGC) provides guidance on selecting appropriate journals. The UGC Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (UGC-CARE) has been set up to provide dependable guidance and ensure quality. It maintains a list of trustworthy journals and is updated quarterly.3
It provides for a mechanism for any Indian or foreign national to make recommendations on journals as well as for publishers to submit titles for consideration.3
There exists an Academic Journal Predatory Checking System, which allows users to search whether a particular journal is deemed predatory or not.4
Even though it has its limitations, it might be a step in the right direction. Researchers may also check whether the journal in question is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics and whether it is a part of the Directory of Open Access Journals in case it happens to be open access.
References
McGuinness N. A threat to scientific integrity. Br Dent J 2023; 235: 162-163.
ThinkCheckSubmit. About predatory publishing. Available at: https://thinkchecksubmit.org/resources/about-predatory-publishing/ (accessed August 2023).
UGC-CARE. Available at: https://ugccare.unipune.ac.in/apps1/home/index (accessed August 2023).
Academic Journal Predatory Checking System. Available at: http://140.113.207.51:8000 (accessed August 2023).
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Sahni, V. Identifying predatory journals. Br Dent J 235, 449 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6396-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6396-2