Read in full: https://blog.cabells.com/2026/02/03/cabells-predatory-reports-database-h...
We have previously had in-depth HIFA discussions on predatory journals. This announcement suggests things are getting decidedly worse.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BEAUMONT, TX: Cabells – a US-based information services company – now includes over 20,000 journals in its Predatory Reports database, with the unique resource growing by over 300% since its launch in 2017.
After hitting the 10,000 mark in 2019 and 15,000 in 2021, a recent upgrade in the technology governing the database has allowed for further journals to be added in recent months, which has pushed Predatory Reports to its new mark. As of January 30, 2026, there are 20,274 journals included in the database, allowing customers an unrivalled ability to check sources, references, and journal submission options to help ensure the veracity of the academic record.
Journals are included in Predatory Reports if they meet some of the 70+ criteria that the Cabells’ team of experts employs to judge if a journal is deceptive or not. Predatory journals are often fake as well as seeking to dupe authors into paying for publication, usually giving the appearance of legitimate peer-reviewed journals, and impacting academic stakeholders by exploiting the open access model while using misleading tactics to solicit article submissions...
Commenting on the milestone, Cabells Chief Executive Officer Lacey Earle said: “As this new milestone shows, the increasing activity from predatory publishers to con academic researchers and defraud funders shows no sign of stopping, particularly as generative AI technologies make the creation of academic content easier than ever. In order to navigate this increasingly difficult landscape, Predatory Reports supports funders, publishers, academics, and their institutions to verify journal options and avoid the range of deceptions represented by predatory journals.”
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HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org