Resource Trial: Problematic Publishers
The library is currently running a trial of Problematic Publishers through August 27, 2026.
To view the Problematic Publishers feature, download the LibKey Nomad browser extension. Current users will automatically see the Problematic Publishers feature.
Let us know what you think about Problematic Publishers!
About Problematic Publishers
This new feature from Third Iron builds on the LibKey Nomad extension and offers two related features: Problematic Journal and Problematic Domain. These are driven by the same data and set of publisher concerns but highlight the connection in unique ways.
Problematic Journal
The Problematic Journal feature indicates that the user is looking at an article in a journal associated with a publisher identified one or more concerns. This signposting will appear throughout LibKey at the point of discovery.
This will appear in LibKey Nomad while searching inside of a database such as PubMed:
Users can follow the Problematic Journals link for more information about the concerns for the publisher associated with this journal. Links to full text are still offered if the user would like to continue or make their own determination on the article but this vital context from Problematic Publishers is brought to their attention.
Problematic Domain
The Problematic Domain feature detects when a user with LibKey Nomad installed visits a URL associated with a publisher with whom we have identified concerns.
Potential Concerns
The potential concerns criteria were based on the guidelines used by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and are focused on ensuring the publisher provides sound and well-documented policies for areas such as peer review, open access rights and editorial oversight. For more details about the criteria, see About Problematic Publishers on the Third Iron site.