Predatory conferences

Predatory conferences exploit and benefit from researchers who are eager to present their work at a seemingly prestigious international event. These conferences are usually poorly organized and of low quality, and often conduct little or no peer review of submitted contributions. The organizers primarily generate revenue through registration fees and may sometimes inform registrants that the conference has been canceled without refunding the fees.

As a researcher or doctoral student at Jönköping University, you can always contact the library for help investigating a suspected predatory conference!

Some typical characteristics:

Spam invitations: They often send out mass email invitations with flattering language to attract participants.
Unknown organizations: These conferences are usually organized by organizations that are not well known in the academic community. They usually deal with commercial entities rather than reputable academic institutions. These organizations often operate with the primary goal of making a profit rather than advancing scientific knowledge. Information about the organizers, their credentials and their previous events is often vague or difficult to verify. The conference has never been held before.
High fees: Predatory conferences tend to keep their attendance fees relatively low to moderate compared to legitimate high-profile conferences. This is because their primary goal is to attract as many participants as possible, especially early career researchers or individuals from developing countries who may have tighter budgets. A lower fee can make their event seem more accessible and appealing. They may also have additional hidden costs.
Poor quality control: Submissions are accepted with little or no peer review, and the quality of presentations is often very low.
False claims: They may falsely claim the involvement of prominent academics who are not actually involved. The conference is not listed on the website of any academic society or publisher claimed as a sponsor.
Copied content: They may use copied images and content without permission to make their websites look more credible.
The focus of the conference: Too broad a scope to attract as many participants as possible.

Attending a predatory conference can have several negative consequences::

Financial loss: Registration fees and hidden costs can lead to significant financial loss.
Loss of reputation: Being associated with low-quality events can damage your professional reputation and credibility.
Waste of time and effort: The time and effort spent preparing for and attending the conference could be better spent elsewhere.
Lack of academic value: These conferences often lack rigorous peer review, meaning your work may not receive the constructive feedback it deserves.
Missed networking opportunities: Genuine networking opportunities with reputable researchers are limited, reducing the potential for meaningful academic connections.

Checklist for investigating a conference:

Think. Check. Attend. is an international initiative that aims to guide and support researchers in choosing reliable conferences to attend and present their research.

They also have on the same website an interactive version of the checklist called Conference Checker.

Publishing Strategy

Predatory conferences