Special issue scam: how to verify a guest editor invitation

Start with the journal, not the email

Do not use the links in the invitation as your first source of truth. Open the publisher or journal website independently, find the special issue from the journal's own navigation, and check whether the named guest editors and dates appear there.

If the invitation claims to come from a major publisher, the special issue should normally be traceable through that publisher's official domain. A polished email signature is easy to copy.

Questions to answer before you accept

• Is the journal itself the one you think it is? Verify the title, ISSN and official website.
• Does the special issue exist on the official journal site? Check title, scope, deadline and guest-editor names.
• Does the sender's email domain match the publisher or an independently verifiable editor?
• What are you actually agreeing to do? Legitimate guest-editing roles should have defined responsibilities and editorial safeguards.
• Are publication fees transparent? Authors should not discover mandatory charges only after acceptance.
• Who controls peer review? A guest editor should not have unchecked authority over conflicts of interest or their own submissions.

Warning signs in special issue invitations

Be cautious when the message is outside your field, promises unusually easy publication, asks you to recruit a large number of papers quickly, or pressures you to move the conversation to a personal email account. Another warning sign is an invitation that uses a real journal name but sends submissions to a domain that is not connected to the publisher.

A single awkward phrase or generic greeting is not enough to decide that an invitation is fraudulent. Many legitimate editorial offices use templates. Look for a pattern of identity, transparency and process problems.

Special issues also need normal publication ethics

Special issues can create additional conflict-of-interest risks because a small guest-editor group may handle many related manuscripts. Good publishers set rules for editor-authored papers, independent review, competing interests and escalation to the journal's regular editorial leadership.

Recent research has also examined excessive guest-editor self-publication in special issues. That is a different problem from an outright scam, but it reinforces the need for transparent editorial safeguards rather than treating a special issue as an informal collection of invited papers.

If the invitation is real but you are unsure about the journal

Separate the two decisions. First verify that the invitation is authentic. Then assess whether the journal meets your needs for indexing, editorial standards, fees and reputation. A real invitation from a real journal can still be a poor fit for your work.

Use the Journal Invitation Email Checker for message-level red flags, and the Journal Checker for the journal itself.

If you already accepted a suspicious invitation

Save the correspondence, avoid recruiting other authors until you verify the role, and contact the journal through the official website rather than replying to the original message. If the publisher confirms that the invitation was not authorized, send them the sender address, domain and any payment or submission links so they can investigate.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a special issue invitation is real?

Find the special issue independently on the journal or publisher official website and confirm the title, guest editors, deadline and submission route there.

Is a guest editor invitation a scam if it is unsolicited?

Not necessarily. Legitimate journals sometimes invite researchers they do not know personally. Verify the sender, journal, special issue and editorial responsibilities before accepting.

Should a guest editor pay a fee?

Editorial-role terms vary, but any payment, waiver or publication-fee arrangement should be disclosed clearly. Unexpected requests for money are a reason to verify the invitation directly with the publisher.

Can a fake special issue use a real journal name?

Yes. Impersonation can copy journal branding and editor names, so the special issue should be confirmed through the official publisher or journal domain.

Independent sources used in this guide

• APA publishing tips on journal hijacking — guidance on authentic publisher domains and submission routes
• COPE — publication-ethics guidance for editors and publishers

Journal records, publisher practices and web infrastructure can change. Verify time-sensitive claims at the original source before making a submission, funding, hiring, promotion or legal decision.