Predatory Publishers

Open access means that anyone can view your work, including researchers, scholars, fellow students, and anyone with an internet connection. Occasionally students (as well as faculty) are solicited by publishers interested in publishing their theses or dissertations. Many are legitimate organizations. However, some are considered predatory publishers. What this means is that they take your work, transfer copyright to themselves, and, under the guise of “editing,” publish it in print or e-book formats. The problem is that no editorial work is being done: the work is reprinted verbatim (including obvious typos), royalties are frequently not awarded, and copyright is no longer yours. It is recommended to consider solicitations for publishing your thesis or dissertation with caution. One reason for this caution is that your thesis is already published by CSUN through the ScholarWorks Open Access Repository. Legitimate publishers will almost always heavily edit and rework a thesis/dissertation for a book or article publication. They will also go through a peer review process, something not offered by predatory publishers. For more information on predatory publishing access this link: 

https://beallslist.weebly.com/

When in doubt, check the list. Caveat scriptor!

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this issue, Andrew Weiss, Digital Services Librarian at the Oviatt Library, can also provide consultation on suspicious solicitations.