This study investigates knowledge levels, awareness regarding predatory publishers, and factors influencing researchers’ choice of publishers among Tanzanian researchers. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study includes 201 respondents from the University of Dodoma and Sokoine University of Agriculture, combining a questionnaire for researchers with interviews with university decision-makers. The results indicate that while many respondents recognized the key features of predatory publishing, such as identifying unsolicited email invitations, there remains a significant gap in comprehensive knowledge. The interviews revealed ongoing efforts by universities to raise awareness through training sessions and resource provision. The study concludes that while there is some recognition of the key characteristics associated with predatory publishers, significant gaps remain, particularly among early career researchers. Addressing these gaps is crucial for preserving the integrity of scholarly communication within academic institutions. Enhanced educational initiatives are essential for equipping researchers with the skills needed to navigate the complexities of academic publishing effectively.
AboyadeWANdubuisi-OkohEOOkocheC, et al. (2024) Impact of predatory journal publishing on scholarly practices among academic librarians in Nigeria: A systematic review of literature. Seminars in Medical Writing and Education3: Article 60.
2.
AdakawaMI (2022) Scholarly communication practice and strategies in institutions of higher learning in Africa. In: Alemneh DG (ed.) Handbook of Research on the Global View of Open Access and Scholarly Communications. Kano: IGI Global, pp. 81–107.
3.
AhmedSK (2024) How to choose a sampling technique and determine sample size for research: A simplified guide for researchers. Oral Oncology Reports12: Article 100662.
4.
AiayalatSAFarahRIShehadehB, et al. (2019) Biomedical researchers and students knowledge about predatory journals. Journal of Academic Librarianship45(5): Article 102056.
5.
AjuwonGAAjuwonAJ (2018) Predatory publishing and the dilemma of the Nigerian academic. African Journal of Biomedical Research21(1): 1–5.
6.
Al-AniAAl-HuneidyLSultanH, et al. (2023) Effect of an educational intervention on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare workers at King Hussein Cancer Center towards predatory publishers. BMC Medical Education23: Article 355.
7.
AllaharHSookramR (2020) The adoption of open access journals for publishing management research: A review of the literature and the experience of the University of the West Indies. International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology16(1): 126–146.
8.
AnJYingLZhuY (2021) Why resampling outperforms reweighting for correcting sampling bias with stochastic gradients. In: ICLR 2021: 9th international conference on learning representations, Stanford, 2021, pp. 1–20. Stanford University.
9.
AtisoKKammerJBossallerJ (2019) Predatory publishing and the Ghana experience: A call to action for information professionals. IFLA Journal45(4): 277–288.
10.
BergerM (2023) Academic librarians and pedagogical approaches to deterring predatory publishing. In: Habibie B and Fazel I (eds) Predatory Practices in Scholarly Publishing and Knowledge Sharing: Causes and Implications for Scholarship. Routledge, pp. 214–229.
11.
BeshyahSHajjajiIElbarshaA (2018) Awareness of predatory journals among physicians from Africa and the Middle East: An exploratory survey. Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences10(4): 136–140.
12.
ChenX (2019) Beall’s List and Cabell’s Blacklist: A comparison of two lists of predatory OA journals. Serials Review45(4): 219–226.
13.
CiroJB (2022) How are academic libraries in Spanish-speaking Latin America responding to new models of scholarly communication and predatory publishing?Journal of Librarianship and Information Science54(3): 373–388.
14.
CukierSHelalLRiceDB, et al. (2020) Checklists to detect potential predatory biomedical journals: A systematic review. BMC Medicine18: Article 104.
15.
Curiel-MarínEComas ForgasRGallent-TorresC, et al. (2023) Assessing the knowledge and attitudes of Spanish early-stage academics towards predatory journals. In: 27th international conference on science, technology and innovation Indicat, Leiden, 2023, pp. 1-6. University of Leiden.
16.
El BairiKFourtassiMEl FatimyR, et al. (2023) Distance education as a tool to improve researchers’ knowledge on predatory journals in countries with limited resources: The Moroccan experience. International Journal for Educational Integrity19: Article 1.
17.
ElmoreSAWestonEH (2020) Predatory journals: What they are and how to avoid them. Toxicologic Pathology48(4): 607–610.
18.
GiriOP (2023) Choosing sampling techniques and calculating sample size. Indonesian Journal of Teaching in Science4(2): 165–176.
19.
GurnaniBKaurK (2021) Avoiding predatory publishing for early-career ophthalmologists. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology69(12): 19–25.
20.
HashishEAAAlsenanySAAbdelaliemSMF (2024) Investigating academic nurse researchers’ knowledge, experience, and attitude toward predatory journals. Journal of Professional Nursing51: 1–8.
21.
HengKHamidMOKhanA (2020) Factors influencing academics’ research engagement and productivity: A developing countries perspective. Issues in Educational Research30(3): 965–987.
22.
HimawanHSussolaikahK (2023) The danger of predator journal publication for researchers. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Arts2(1): 107–116.
23.
IbrahimHElhagSAElnourSM, et al. (2022) Medical resident awareness of predatory journal practices in an international medical education system. Medical Education Online27(1): Article 2139169.
JedynakMCzakonWKuźniarskaA, et al. (2021) Digital transformation of organizations: What do we know and where to go next?Journal of Organizational Change Management34(3): 629–652.
26.
JinguraRMChigwadaJDiverT, et al. (2025) Extent of publishing in predatory journals by academics in higher education institutions in Zimbabwe: A case study of a university. Accountability in Research32(2): 143–157.
27.
KamalAH (2024) Do orthopaedics surgeons have any idea what predatory journals are?: (cross-sectional study). Heliyon10(5): Article e26448.
28.
KumariM (2021) Awareness of predatory journals in library and information science faculties in India. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal): Article 6624. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/6624
29.
LaiYLuWMaoH, et al. (2021) Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding health self-management among patients with osteogenesis imperfecta in China: An online cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open11(9): Article e046286.
30.
LaineCBabskiDBacheletVC, et al. (2025) Predatory journals: What can we do to protect their prey?The Lancet405(10476): 362–364.
31.
LeducqSBonsuNClementK, et al. (2023) Predator and alien: The threat of predatory journals and conferences. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology48(8): 847–853.
32.
LinaresCE (2020) The impact of predatory publishing in academic research: A general review. Journal of Global Management Sciences3(1): 10–12.
33.
LopezEGaspardCS (2020) Predatory publishing and the academic librarian: Developing tools to make decisions. Medical Reference Services Quarterly39(1): 1–14.
34.
MacháčekVSrholecM (2022) Predatory publishing in Scopus: Evidence on cross-country differences. Quantitative Science Studies3(3): 859–887.
35.
MassoroZZOthmanR (2017) Antecedents for actual usage intentions of open access journals in agricultural research institutions in Tanzania. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal): Article 1460. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1460
36.
McKenzieMNickersonDBallCG (2021) Predatory publishing solicitation: A review of a single surgeon’s inbox and implications for information technology resources at an organizational level. Canadian Journal of Surgery64(3): E351–E357.
37.
MillsDInouyeK (2021) Problematizing “predatory publishing”: A systematic review of factors shaping publishing motives, decisions, and experiences. Learned Publishing34(2): 89–104.
38.
MishraK (2019) Applications of right speech in knowledge management and organizational learning. Bodhi7(1): 17–34.
39.
MuhialdeenASAhmedJOBabaHO, et al. (2023) Kscien’s list: A new strategy to discourage predatory journals and publishers (second version). Barw Medical Journal1(1): 24–26.
40.
MukherjeeB (2010) Changing scenario of scholarly communication: Journals, e-journals and open access journals. In: Scholarly Communication in Library and Information Services. Elsevier, pp. 1–37.
41.
NagarkarS (ed) (2022) Predatory journals: Cause and consequences. In: Academic Integrity and Research Quality. University Grants Commission, pp. 131–142.
42.
OganSÖz SoysalFSUz BasA (2022) The meaning of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed method research. Batı Anadolu Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi13(1): 1–26.
43.
OkwuEOladokunB (2023) Open access journals and predatory publishing: Detective mechanisms for information seekers and library and information science researchers. Zambia Journal of Library and Information Science7(1): 14–21.
44.
PanjikaranLMathewA (2020) Awareness of predatory publishing. ESMO Open5(2): Article e000677.
45.
PetrişorAI (2022) Influence of predatory journals on the publishing behavior of researchers from countries with a short western-style academic publishing tradition: A language perspective. Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes10(3): 493–503.
46.
RichtigGBergerMLange-AsschenfeldtB, et al. (2018) Problems and challenges of predatory journals. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology32(9): 1441–1449.
47.
Ross-WhiteAGodfreyCMSearsKA, et al. (2019) Predatory publications in evidence syntheses. Journal of the Medical Library Association107(1): 57–61.
48.
RowleyJSbaffiLSugdenM, et al. (2022) Factors influencing researchers’ journal selection decisions. Journal of Information Science48(3): 321–335.
49.
SeverinAStrinzelMEggerM, et al. (2021) Characteristics of scholars who review for predatory and legitimate journals: Linkage study of Cabells Scholarly Analytics and Publons data. BMJ Open11(7): Article e050270.
50.
ShamseerL (2021) Predatory journals: An evidence-based approach to characterizing them and considering where research ought to be published. PhD Thesis, University of Ottawa, Canada.
51.
ShamsiAWangTVasantha RajuN, et al. (2024) Predatory journals in dermatology: A bibliometric review. Online Information Review48(5): 869–888.
52.
ShenCShahL (2023) Predatory publishing practices: What researchers should know before submitting their manuscript. Insights36: Article 19.
53.
ShresthaJ (2020) Authors beware! Publishing in predatory journals is harmful. Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources3(2): 1–8.
54.
ShresthaJ (2021) Predatory journals as threats to the academic publishing: A review. Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources4(2): 1–10.
55.
ShresthaJSubediSTimsinaKP (2020) Predatory publishing: A threat to the credibility of science. Nepal Journal of Multidisciplinary Research3(1): 7–14.
56.
ShresthaJTimsinaKPSubediS (2021) Predatory vs legitimate publishing and its consequences: A review. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries10(2): 169–176.
57.
SinghSRemenyiD (2016) Researchers beware of predatory and counterfeit journals: Are academics gullible?Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods14(1): 50–59.
58.
SubaveerapandiyanAKumariM (2021) Awareness of predatory journals in library and information science faculties in India. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal): Article 6624. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/6624
59.
Sureda-NegreJCalvo-SastreAComas-ForgasR (2022) Predatory journals and publishers: Characteristics and impact of academic spam to researchers in educational sciences. Learned Publishing35(4): 441–447.
60.
TarkangEEBainLE (2019) The bane of publishing a research article in international journals by African researchers, the peer-review process and the contentious issue of predatory journals: A commentary. Pan African Medical Journal32: Article 119.
61.
Teixeira da SilvaJADobránszkiJTsigarisP, et al. (2019) Predatory and exploitative behaviour in academic publishing: An assessment. Journal of Academic Librarianship45(6): Article 102071.
62.
Teixeira da SilvaJAKendallG (2023) Academia should stop using Beall’s lists and review their use in previous studies. Central Asian Journal of Medical Hypotheses and Ethics4(1): 39–47.
63.
TomlinsonOW (2024) Predatory publishing in medical education: A rapid scoping review. BMC Medical Education24: Article 33.
64.
VaughanR (2017) Oversampling in health surveys: Why, when, and how?American Journal of Public Health107(8): 1214–1215.
65.
WebberNWiegandS (2022) A multidisciplinary study of faculty knowledge and attitudes regarding predatory publishing. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication10(1): Article eP13011.
66.
WilsonP (2022) Unsolicited solicitations: Identifying characteristics of unsolicited emails from potentially predatory journals and the role of librarians. Journal of the Medical Library Association110(4): 520–524.
67.
YamadaY (2021) How to protect the credibility of articles published in predatory journals. Publications9(1): Article 4.
68.
YamaneT (1967) Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). New York: Harper and Row.
69.
YeoMARenandyaWATangkiengsirisinS (2022) Re-envisioning academic publication: From “publish or perish” to “publish and flourish.”RELC Journal53(1): 266–275.
