Beall’s List explained
What does “Beall” mean in Beall’s List?
“Beall” is the surname of Jeffrey Beall, the librarian whose work on potentially predatory scholarly publishers and journals became widely known among researchers, librarians and universities. It is not the name of an indexing database, metric or accreditation system.
Maintained by the Beallslists.com editorial review team · Evidence reviewed: · Current verification cycle: 2026
The short answer
When someone says a journal is “on Beall’s List,” they are referring to historical lists associated with Jeffrey Beall. Those lists were created to draw attention to publishers and standalone journals that, in his assessment, showed practices associated with deceptive or poor-quality scholarly publishing.
The phrase became so familiar that some researchers now use “Beall” almost as shorthand for checking whether a journal may deserve additional scrutiny. That shorthand can be misleading if it is treated as a permanent verdict.
What Beall’s List was—and was not
- It was a screening and warning resource associated with one researcher's criteria and judgments.
- It was not an official government blacklist.
- It was not PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ or another indexing service.
- It was not a legal finding that every journal or publisher on the list was fraudulent.
- It should not replace current verification of a journal's identity, indexing, editorial board, fees and policies.
Why people still search for “Beall”
The original list became influential because researchers needed a quick way to investigate unfamiliar journals, especially those promoted through unsolicited email. The term continues to appear in searches such as “Beall’s List,” “Beall list predatory journals,” “Beall journal checker” and “what does Beall mean.”
Today, the better use is to treat historical inclusion as one piece of context and then check current evidence. A publisher may change ownership. A journal may change title, website, editor or indexing status. A copied website may also impersonate a legitimate journal.
How to use the term responsibly
Instead of saying “it is on Beall’s List, therefore it is predatory,” say what can actually be verified: whether the name appears in a historical archive, what the current journal claims, and what independent sources show today.
Continue with What is Beall’s List?, Is Beall’s List reliable? and the journal verification checker.
Sources and further verification
- Jeffrey Beall's published work and historical context — overview of the original list, its history, reception and limitations
- Beall's List archive mirror — example of a preserved historical list and later update structure
Historical records are useful context, but journal ownership, indexing, policies and websites can change. Verify current claims at the original source before making a submission, hiring, promotion or funding decision.