Ve sion 1.0 20.11.2025
Publica ion Fo um (JUFO) Checklis o
P oblema ic P ac ices in Scien i ic Jou nals’
Edi o ial and Quali y Assessmen 1
In i a ions
1. Resea che s a e epea edly spammed by email o ac as au ho s, e iewe s,
and/o edi o s.
2. Resea che s a e in i ed o con ibu e o jou nals o special/ heme issues
ou side hei ield o expe ise.
3. P ominen esea che s a e en iced o become au ho s, e iewe s o edi o s by
o e ing discoun s o wai e s on publica ion ees.
Edi o ial P ocess
4. Re iewe in i a ion/selec ion and/o publica ion decisions a e made
au oma ically wi hou ac i e edi o ial decision-making.
5. Edi o s ha e limi ed o es ic ed oppo uni ies o in luence who is in i ed o
e iew and which manusc ip s a e published.
6. Edi o s a e p essu ed o encou aged o inc ease he numbe o a icles
p ocessed and/o accep ed o publica ion.
7. Resea che s a e equi ed o e ise, e iew, o pe o m edi o ial asks wi hin
un easonably sho deadlines.
Pee Re iew
8. Resea che s equen ly ecei e low-quali y o supe icial pee e iew epo s.
9. Re iews a e p o ided by indi iduals lacking expe ise in he speci ic ield o
he submi ed esea ch.
10. A e iewe sugges ing changes o a manusc ip is no gi en he oppo uni y o
e i y whe he he co ec ions ha e been p ope ly implemen ed be o e
publica ion.
11. A e iewe o edi o ecommending ejec ion o no mee ing deadline is
emo ed om he p ocess o eplaced o bypassed.
Ve sion 1.0 JUFO Checklis 20.11.2025
Publica ion Decisions
12. Published a icles ha e o en been ecommended o ejec ion by e iewe s
(ei he in he same o ano he jou nal).
13. The edi o ial o e iew p ocess o special/ heme issues is o en handled by
gues edi o s a he han he jou nal’s own edi o ial eam.
14. Published a icles a e egula ly au ho ed by edi o s o edi o ial boa d
membe s.
15. The olume o publica ions inc eases a an unusually apid pace wi hin a sho
ime.
Published Resea ch
16. Published esea ch equen ly alls ou side he s a ed scope o he jou nal, o
he scope is aguely de ined.
17. Published a icles con ain a disp opo iona ely high numbe o sel -ci a ions o
he jou nal o o he au ho s’ own wo ks.
18. Edi o s o e iewe s egula ly eques he addi ion o ci a ions o published
a icles wi hou scien i ic jus i ica ion.
19. Published esea ch is epea edly o poo quali y o is comp omised by
esea ch misconduc , unaccep able p ac ices, o inapp op ia ely AI-gene a ed
con en .
1 This checklis has been de eloped by he Publica ion Fo um (in Finnish Julkaisu oo umi, in
sho JUFO) o help ield-speci ic expe -panels in e alua ing i publica ion channel mee s
le el 1 c i e ia o JUFO classi ica ion. The checklis con ains 19 p ac ices ha may indica e
p oblems o aise conce ns abou ho oughness and eliabili y o he jou nal’s edi o ial and
pee e iew p ac ices. The checklis is no o p eda o y o ques ionable jou nals bu ocuses
on jou nals aiming o inc ease he numbe o publica ions and/o o minimize he ime spend
o edi o ial wo k and quali y assessmen . In JUFO, hese jou nals a e inc easingly di icul o
e alua e because hey may o mally mee he le el 1 c i e ia, such as pee e iew and
edi o ial boa d o expe s in he ield, bu he scien i ic quali y assessmen may no wo k
ho oughly and eliably down he line. The checklis is a ool o iden i ying, documen ing
(whe e possible), and conside ing a ange o p oblema ic p ac ices mo e sys ema ically and
holis ically on a jou nal-by-jou nal basis. JUFO panels a e ee o expe imen and implemen
his ool in hei e alua ion p ocesses. This is a i s e sion o he checklis , and i will be
de eloped by he JUFO sec e a ia wi h he s ee ing boa d, expe panels, and o he expe
communi ies. I you ha e any ques ions o sugges ions, please con ac
julkaisu oo umi@ s . i.
