Use the power of the Fidelior™ metadatabase.
Scrutinize 40+ journal sources, 91 000+ titles,
and more than 400,000 records!
THE PROBLEM
Over the past two decades, predatory, deceptive, and other questionable scientific practices have grown exponentially. Contributing factors include the rise of the open access publication model, an upsurge in exploitative scholarly publishing practices, and increased pressure on academics to publish. A particular concern is ‘citation pollution’, where questionable, fake or inferior publications are being incorporated into legitimate research. Detecting and avoiding citation pollution is a complex and growing challenge for all stakeholders in the scholarly ecosystem.
THE IMPACT
Questionable publications can undermine the quality, integrity, and legitimacy of the published academic record. It has the potential to affect academic rankings and ratings and create lasting damage to an institution’s international reputation. Questionable science contributes to wastage of resources and funds, it affects eligibility for grant allocations, and influences accreditation bodies. Through citation pollution, questionable publications can misdirect future scholarship and hurt science. The current manual process of identifying questionable journals is time-consuming and highly specialised. As a result, many scholars unknowingly contribute to citation pollution.
OUR SERVICE
Fidelior™ has developed a unique service to check references across a variety of recognised journal sources, including so-called journal blacklists, accredited journal lists, vetted disciplinary lists, and citation indices. The service allows users to quickly scan a manuscript or publication’s reference list and receive a report which flags titles that are considered questionable or untrustworthy. The service also reports on reputable titles included in submitted references. The report helps scholars, peer reviewers and institutions to assess the quality of the references they use.
Research integrity requires good practice.
Make it part of your publication culture.
Think
Is this a trusted journal?
Consider when:
- Choosing a title to cite
- Choosing a title to publish in
- Reviewing or assessing a paper’s reference list
Check
Use the Fidelior™ service to flag questionable and untrustworthy references for further due diligence.
Submit
Submit your manuscript only when you are satisfied that you can trust the quality of a journal or reference.
Fidelior™ service is simple, fast and removes the need for manual searching.
Do your due diligence,
don’t take the risk!
How do I determine if a journal is trustworthy?
Users
Fidelior™ flags questionable and untrustworthy journals to help users conduct their own due diligence. The service also reports on reputable titles included in submitted references. Visit our Resources page for further guidance and useful checklists.
Need support?
Contact your librarian.
Speak to your Academic Librarian if you are still unsure about any journals flagged in a Fidelior™ report.
Our expert services
Let us help you interpret your Fidelior™ report.
Fidelior™ can also support users with additional due diligence services and training, provided by our experts.
What are the benefits of a free institutional trial partnership?
1. Full access to Fidelior™’s digital service for the period of the agreement, with optional benefits post-agreement.
2. A digital service tailored to your needs, through early engagement with the Fidelior™ team.
3. The opportunity to collaborate with Fidelior™’s team of international experts.
4. Receive recognition for your institutional brand on www.fidelior.com.
5. Potential collaboration on research projects within the scholarly communications field.
Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash
