Is that a real scientific journal? Look carefully

AI Thread Summary
The discussion highlights concerns regarding the legitimacy of many open-access scientific journals, as noted in a recent New York Times article. Participants express skepticism about these journals, often receiving unsolicited invitations to submit papers, which raises red flags, particularly when they incorrectly address individuals as "Professor." There is a preference for established platforms like arXiv and APS for accessing credible research, with Google Scholar and ReadCube recommended as reliable tools for finding legitimate articles. Overall, caution is advised when navigating the open-access landscape due to the prevalence of questionable publications.
jtbell
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Is that a "real" scientific journal? Look carefully!

Article in today's New York Times about the increasing number of open-access scientific journals, some or many of which have questionable legitimacy:

Scientific Articles Accepted (Personal Checks, Too)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I get emails about every other week from various fake journals about a "call for papers". A big tipoff is when they address me as Professor. lol
 
I never trusted open access journals outside of arxiv. I usually go through aps as I was able to obtain free subscriptions to research papers because of my student status etcetera. Otherwise, google scholar is a good tool to use for your research as well as readcube that compiles a bunch of credible research articles related to certain topics that you would like to know more about.

I use readcube more often than any other engine as I tend to get more information if I go that route. All in all, I'd tread along the "open-access" a bit carefully.
 
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