Why whitelists are better than blacklists for avoiding predatory journals

This post outlines the benefits of using whitelists instead of blacklists for recognising and steering clear of predatory journals. It points out the drawbacks of blacklists, such as their tendency to quickly become outdated, the risk of wrongly flagging legitimate journals, and potential legal issues. The piece advocates for whitelists like the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), which focuses on identifying reputable journals based on quality and transparency standards. It emphasises the significance of combining whitelist usage with other tools and critical thinking skills when evaluating journals. Additionally, it recommends that researchers seek guidance from their library when selecting appropriate publication venues. The main argument is that positive approaches to identifying quality publications are more effective and sustainable than attempting to list all potentially problematic ones to maintain academic publishing standards.