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Library Library

Library Research Hack: Think. Check. Submit.

Make sure you publish with a trustworthy publisher

24 June 2025

It’s not always easy to tell where best to publish your research. How do you know if a journal or publisher is reputable? And how can you avoid ending up with a questionable, or even predatory, publisher: one that charges fees, but publishes without proper peer review, transparent processes, or academic visibility?

Think. Check. Submit. offers researchers a structured way to assess whether a journal or publisher meets the quality standards that support transparent, ethical, and open research.

How does Think. Check. Submit. help?

Want to make sure you're publishing with a reliable journal or publisher? Think. Check. Submit. helps you assess quality with two practical checklists:

  • A Journal Checklist: for selecting a journal to publish in

  • A Books & Chapters Checklist: for evaluating a book publisher

These checklists include questions such as:

  • Do your colleagues recognize this journal or publisher?

  • Is peer review involved, and how is it conducted?

  • Are the publication costs transparent?

  • Will your work be properly disseminated and indexed?

Think. Check. Submit. is supported by trusted organisations like COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and LIBER, and aims to help researchers worldwide stay critical when choosing a place to publish their work. Want to explore the topic in more depth? Check out the guide Predatory and Questionable Publishing Practices: How to Recognise and Avoid Them, co-authored by Pascal Braak, open access specialist at the UvA Library.

Get started

→ Journal Checklist
→ Books & Chapters Checklist
→ Watch the video – Think. Check. Submit. (YouTube)

Need more help evaluating a journal or publisher? You can always Ask the Library.