Anyone who presents at a conference could receive an e-mail inviting them to publish their research. Unfortunately, disreputable (predatory) publishers sometimes send unwanted SPAM e-mails to conference presenters, including undergraduate students, who are not aware of the problems caused by disreputable open-access journal publishers.
Undergraduates interested in publishing their research in a journal also need to evaluate the journal to ensure that the journal, and its publisher, are reputable. There are journals that publish undergraduate research. They can be published by honor societies in a field or university presses. The links below provide information on college honor societies, some of which publish journals, and journals that publish undergraduate research.
It is important for scholars to determine the quality and reputation of the journals to which they submit their work for publication. Just as with subscription journals, there are unscrupulous OA publishers who spam scholars via email with tempting offers to submit journal articles and/or serve on editorial boards. For more information on publishing, read the article, Investigating Journals: The Dark Side of Publishing (opens in a new window).
OA publishing has undergone rapid growth in recent years, and in many cases OA publishers may be unfamiliar to scholars. OA journals should be judged by exactly the same criteria as any traditional publication, with a few additional considerations. Below are criteria for evaluating a specific journal, as well as links to organizations that evaluate publishers and journals.
Journal Criteria
Visit Think.Check.Submit. for other factors to consider.
Appraisal by the Industry
There are many organizations that vet individual journals and publishers, which may help authors assess legitimacy.
While exclusion from any of these services does not necessarily mean that a publisher is not reputable, authors may consider:
Additionally, if it's open access: https://www.issn.org/services/online-services/road-the-directory-of-open-access-scholarly-resources/
Journal Selection Tools
Beall's List and Beyond
Disclaimer of Liability and Endorsement: Mitchell Community College LibGuides contain hyperlinks to third party websites. Mitchell Community College is not responsible for and does not routinely screen, approve, review or endorse the contents of or use of any of the products or services that may be offered at these websites. In no event will Mitchell Community College be liable for any damages or losses whatsoever resulting from or caused by accessing third party websites via LibGuides. While LibGuides are updated periodically, no guarantee is given that the information provided is correct, complete, or up-to-date. Users of Mitchell Community College LibGuides do so at their own risk.