Predatory Conferences: A Case of Academic Cannibalism

Abstract

The number of questionable conferences continues to increase around the world. Questionable conference organizers are companies that aim to profit as much as possible from the event by preying on researchers’ need to present research findings. They fail to perform any real peer review and deceive researchers to maximize profits. This essay outlines argues that the term questionable conference serves better than the more established predatory conference, criticizes complicit researchers, lists common red flags to identify questionable conferences and explains what might be done to solve the problem.