Conference checks
What are predatory conferences?
Predatory conferences use academic language and event branding to collect registration or publication fees without providing the scholarly review, audience, or editorial standards they imply.
Maintained by the Beallslists.com editorial review team · Last reviewed: June 19, 2026
Common conference warning signs
- The conference scope is extremely broad and combines unrelated fields.
- Acceptance is promised within days with little review.
- The organizing committee cannot be verified.
- The venue, dates, or sponsor names are vague or copied.
- The conference promises publication in indexed proceedings without proof.
- The same organizer runs hundreds of unrelated events worldwide.
How conferences connect to predatory journals
Some questionable conferences push authors into affiliated journals or proceedings after collecting registration fees. Others claim that conference papers will be indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, or Google Scholar without giving a verifiable proceedings title or publisher record.
Before registering, check the organizer, committee, venue, publication partner, refund policy, and whether previous proceedings actually appeared where promised.
People also ask
Are all paid conferences predatory?
No. Registration fees are normal, but misleading claims and fake committees are warning signs.
Should I trust a conference email invitation?
Not without verification. Search the organizer, venue, committee, and previous proceedings.
Can conference proceedings be predatory?
Yes, proceedings can raise similar concerns if review, indexing, and publisher information are unclear.
Useful external references
Use official databases and recognized publishing-ethics resources before making a submission decision. External links are provided for verification and do not replace your institution’s policy.