In a world where information travels faster than ever, nurses are stepping up-not only as healthcare providers but also as scholars, educators, and thought leaders. We present at conferences, publish in journals, and lend our voices to evidence-based change. But as our visibility grows, so do the traps laid out by scammers and predatory publishers.
Earlier this year, I shared a warning on my blog titled “Phishing Scam for Nursing Conferences,” where I described a suspicious email inviting me to speak at a “prestigious” international nursing conference. The message was filled with vague flattery, poor formatting, and requests for immediate payment. It was clearly a scam-but it mimicked the language and structure of real academic opportunities. Sadly, I wasn’t the only one who received it.
Predatory journals and fake conferences prey on our drive to grow professionally. They know we’re busy, that we want to contribute to the literature and advance our careers. And they use that urgency and ambition against us. From demanding hidden fees to accepting poorly reviewed or plagiarized papers, these fraudulent schemes tarnish the integrity of our work and waste our valuable time and money.
So how do we protect ourselves and each other?
That’s where resources like Think. Check. Submit. come in. This international initiative helps researchers identify trustworthy journals for their work. It offers a straightforward checklist to verify the legitimacy of a publication before submitting:
- Think: Do you or your colleagues know the journal?
- Check: Is the journal clear about fees, peer review, and editorial policies?
- Submit: Only if you can confidently answer “yes” to key quality indicators.
These steps may seem simple, but they can help prevent heartache, wasted funds, and reputational harm. The site even includes a journal checker tool to help assess whether a journal meets basic credibility standards.
Nurses are uniquely vulnerable targets because many of us juggle clinical duties, academic work, and volunteer service—leaving little time to vet each call for papers or abstract invitation. That’s why we must share these tools widely and build awareness within our professional communities.
Tips to Stay Safe:
- Beware of unsolicited emails promising keynote slots or “urgent” abstract deadlines.
- Double-check conference names and journal titles, as many scams mimic reputable ones.
- Ask colleagues or mentors if they’ve heard of the opportunity.
- Search for the organization on LinkedIn or Twitter-scammers often leave no digital footprint.
- Use Think. Check. Submit as a go-to guide before submitting any work.
Let’s empower each other to be not just excellent clinicians, but informed and cautious contributors to science. Share the links. Start conversations, and the next time someone offers you a speaking slot in Venice or a journal fast-track-pause, think, check, and only then, consider if you’ll submit.
#adventureswithnursejamla