Welcome
This guide was created in Spring 2018 for students in the Fisheries Research class (FWLD 440) taught by Professor Gascho-Landis. It was last updated in Fall 2023. The tabs on this page provide access to information intended to help with the research paper assigned in that course.
Cite It or Skp It - In-class activity
Open Access journals are published free online for anyone to access. The Open Access movement strives to make scientific research more widely available, but less credible (or non-indexed) journals may also mimic credible research journals in order to make a profit off the scholarly publishing industry. The three sources below are all published Open Access, but they do not all adhere to equal publishing standards.
Other Online Platforms
Tips for Evaluating Online Journals
When encountering journal articles online, investigate:
- What can you determine about the reputation of the journal or the platform where the article is published?
- Is the article peer reviewed? How long does it take on average for an article to move from submission to publication at this journal?
- Is this journal indexed by libraries or the Directory of Open Access Journals?
- Directory of Open Access JournalsEven seasoned researchers can end up publishing in a predatory journal. One way to determine the reputation of a free online journal is to see if it is indexed at the Directory of Open Access Journals or to check where else it is indexed.
- Beall's List of Potential Predatory Journals and Publishers"This is a list of questionable, scholarly open-access publishers. We recommend that scholars read the available reviews, assessments and descriptions provided here, and then decide for themselves whether they want to submit articles, serve as editors or on editorial boards."
NYS DEC. (2013). Horn Lake Strain Native Brook Trout. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nysdec/10839686365