Evidence and corrections
Report a suspicious journal or publisher
A useful report is not a complaint alone. It is a concise evidence package that allows someone else to verify the same facts independently.
Maintained by the Beallslists.com editorial review team · Last reviewed: June 19, 2026
What to include in a report
Send factual, dated material. Avoid broad accusations unless you can support them. The most helpful reports show exactly what the journal claimed, where it claimed it, and why the claim appears inaccurate or misleading.
- Journal title, publisher name, website URL, ISSN, and contact email.
- Screenshots or saved PDFs of indexing, metrics, APCs, editorial board, and peer-review claims.
- Copies of solicitation emails, invoices, withdrawal demands, or acceptance promises.
- Official database checks showing whether claimed indexing or metrics are verified.
- A short timeline of what happened and what outcome you are requesting.
Use careful wording
It is safer and more useful to write, “The journal claims Scopus indexing, but I could not verify the title in Scopus,” than to write, “This journal is fake.” Evidence-based wording helps corrections, appeals, and institutional reviews.
Where to send concerns
For this archive, use the contact page and provide evidence. For a manuscript already submitted or published, also contact your institution, library, funder, supervisor, or research-integrity office. If money has been paid, preserve receipts and payment details before taking further steps.
When the concern is a hijacked journal
Hijacked journals are especially urgent because they imitate real titles. Send the suspicious domain, the legitimate journal domain if known, ISSN details, email headers, and screenshots of the false identity claim.
Useful external references
Use these public resources alongside your institution’s own publication policy and the current evidence for the specific journal or publisher you are checking.