Methodology
What we check and why. Tap + for details.
ISSN validity & checksum Confirms the 8-character number is mathematically valid via its standard check digit — catches typos and invented numbers.
Reference : ISO 3297 / ISSN check-digit standard — issn.org
Crossref registration Verifies the journal deposits DOIs with Crossref and shows the publisher, DOI count and latest content year — reputable journals normally register here.
Reference : Crossref REST API — crossref.org
DOI resolution & active publishing Pulls the most recent articles and confirms their DOIs resolve to real, registered article pages — evidence of active, legitimate publishing.
Reference : International DOI Foundation — doi.org
Scopus indexing & quartile Via the Scopus API: indexing status, CiteScore and quartile (Q1–Q4). Also detects delisting — coverage that ended 2+ years ago is a red flag; ending last year is a caution.
References : Scopus Serial Title API & CiteScore — dev.elsevier.com ; Scopus discontinued sources list — elsevier.com/products/scopus/content
DOAJ open-access listing DOAJ is the vetted directory of open-access journals. Being listed is a positive signal; an open-access journal that is absent warrants caution.
Reference : Directory of Open Access Journals — doaj.org
Predatory-list screening (Beall) Matches the journal and publisher name against a maintained community copy of the Beall list of suspected predatory journals and publishers.
Reference : Beall's List — beallslist.net (community-maintained mirror)
Hijacked / cloned journal Matches the ISSN against the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker — fake sites that clone a real journal's ISSN. A valid ISSN alone does not prove authenticity.
Reference : Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker — retractionwatch.com
Authorship geography Via OpenAlex we compute the leading author countries. We caution when 2 of the top 3 (or 4 of 5, or 7 of 10) are among the countries with the highest predatory-publishing prevalence (Scientometrics 2021), counting the journal's own country too. A heuristic for human review.
References : Macháček V. & Srholec M. (2021). Predatory publishing in Scopus: evidence on cross-country differences. Scientometrics 126, 5019–5077 — doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-03852-y ; authorship data — OpenAlex
Retraction rate Via OpenAlex we compute the share of indexed articles that are retracted, graded against the global baseline (~0.04%): normal, slightly above, elevated, or high. Mega-journals can run higher because they actively retract, so a high rate is a flag to investigate — not proof of misconduct.
References : Brainard J. & You J. (2018), Science — doi.org/10.1126/science.aav8384 ; retraction flag via OpenAlex
Editorial integrity Deeper signals computed server-side: the journal's self-citation rate (possible manipulation above ~15–25%), citation-cartel detection (a reciprocal citation ring with a partner journal that inflates metrics), the share of its retractions citing compromised peer review or editorial concerns, and paper-mill-linked retractions — using the Retraction Watch dataset and OpenAlex.
References : Retraction Watch dataset (Crossref) ; citation graph via OpenAlex
Verify & supportive checks Some sources have no open data, so we provide one-click links: Web of Science (Master Journal List), the official ISSN record, and COPE & OASPA membership as supportive signals of publisher integrity.
References : Web of Science MJL ; ISSN Portal ; COPE ; OASPA