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How to spot a predatory conference, and what science needs to do about them: a guide

Researchers who have fallen prey to predatory conferences share the tell-tale signs of a dud event.
  1. Christine Ro

    1. Christine Ro is a freelance writer in London, UK.

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Cartoon showing a magnifying glass looking at a warning sign that reveals a presenter at a conference.

Illustration: Sébastien Thibault

Last year, Kutubuddin Molla disappointed a postdoctoral colleague who had sought his advice about a conference in Italy. “I quickly recognized it as predatory. They invited him as a keynote speaker, despite him not having any publications in that field yet,” Molla says.

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Nature 632, 219-220 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02360-2

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