title: The Dark Side of Dissemination: Traditional and Open Access Versus Predatory Journals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the article is to alert faculty about predatory online journals, review characteristics of three broad categories of journals, and provide suggestions for faculty evaluation of journals before submission of scholarship for publication.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The availability of online journals in recent years has rapidly increased the number of journals available for publication of faculty scholarship. However, not all online journals meet the same standards as traditional journals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The article is not a report for a research study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Currently, there are three broad categories of journals for faculty scholarship publication: traditional, open access scholarly, and predatory open access journals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Faculty authors need to carefully evaluate the journal characteristics and publisher business practices before submitting a manuscript for publication to prevent inadvertent submission to a predatory open access journal.
authors.affiliation: About the Authors Yondell B. Masten, PhD, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, is Florence Thelma Hall Endowed Chair for Nursing Excellence in Women's Health and associate dean for outcomes management and evaluation, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Lubbock. Alyce S. Ashcraft, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, is associate dean for research and professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Lubbock. For more information, contact Dr. Masten at yondell.masten@ttuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Yondell B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Masten
authors.forename: Alyce S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ashcraft
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011643:Publishing