Predatory Conferences (UWISTA: THINK. CHECK. ATTEND.

The plethora of conference invitations to attend or present at conferences can be so overwhelming that it is difficult to decide which are authentic academic events and which are outright scams.Think. Check. Attend. is an initiative aimed at helping the scholarly community identify legitimate conferences and ignore those that may be misleading or fake. This website provides comprehensive advice to help scholars to recognize the characteristics of a trusted conference to attend and submit their abstracts, through a number of steps and a check list.

Is it the right conference to attend and present your research?
Are you submitting your abstract to a trusted conference?

• New conferences are announced each year.
• Stories of questionable and fake conferences are also on the rise.
• It can be challenging to find up-to-date guidance when choosing the right conference to attend.
• How can you be sure the conference you are considering is the right conference to attend and present your research?

Source: https://thinkcheckattend.org/think/  

Organizers & Sponsors

• Are you aware of the society or the association organizing this conference?
• Can you easily identify the venue of the conference?
• Is it the first time that this conference is being held?
• Have you or your colleagues attended this conference before?
• Is it clear what fees will be charged (conference fee, registration fees, …, etc.) and would these be waived if you are accepted as a speaker?
• Are any of the sponsors involved in the conference?
• Are you aware of any of them, especially with industry-related fields such as Engineering & Biomedical research?
• Did you check the conference website? Is all the information (such as the attendance fees, submission date, conference date, editorial committee, program details and venue) presented in a proper way?
• Have you read any papers from this conference proceedings before?

Agenda & Editorial Committee

• Is there a clear information about the timeline and the agenda for the conference?
• Do the scope and objectives of the conference fit your field and core interest or not?
• Have you heard of the Keynote speakers?
• Is the Editorial Committee listed on the website?
• Have you heard of the Editorial Committee members before?
• Is the Committee clear about the editorial control over presentations and the type of peer-review it uses?

Conference Proceedings

• Is the Organizing Committee clear about where the proceedings will be published?
• Does the conference make it clear the indexing services it can guarantee the published proceedings, and to which indexers will it submit the proceedings for evaluation?
• Is the publisher of the proceedings a member of a recognized industry initiative such as COPE, DOAJ, OASPA?
• Also refer to Think. Check. Submit. checklist for  details about publishing in the right journal: 
  https://thinkchecksubmit.org/check/.

Source: https://thinkcheckattend.org/check/

Complete the check list and attend the conference or submit your abstract only if you are satisfied and you can answer ‘yes’ to most or all of the questions.

• Attending the right conference will give you the opportunity to maintain your awareness of the latest updates and improvements in your field.
• Attending the right conference will enhance your career and expand your connections within the academic community.
• Publishing your Conference Paper under a professional publishing experience, where your work is reviewed, edited, indexed and easily discoverable will enhance your reputation and your chance of gaining citations.
• Only then should you attend and present your research at this conference.

Source: https://thinkcheckattend.org/attend/