Teaching Predatory Journal Appraisal Using Persuasive System Design and Gamification

This poster presents a gamification project by four undergraduate students and mentors (two academic librarians), to educate researchers about predatory publishing. While publishing in reputable journals is essential for career advancement, and many reputable journals are open access or hybrid, the OA space also contains some players who prey on academics’ need to often publish fast. This urgency can lead some to fall prey to predatory publishers, who promise fast turnaround, impressive editorial boards, and indexing in platforms like Scopus or Web of Science—often as part of deceptive schemes that can harm reputations and careers. To educate academics about this in an interactive way, our team spent three months studying the tactics of predatory journals. We used this knowledge to develop PredEscape, an open educational game designed to teach researchers how to identify and avoid these publishers. Built using RPGMaker MV, the game mimics a digital escape room and includes puzzles, quizzes, and red-flag spotting challenges to reinforce learning. PredEscape is in development. Future updates will feature more levels, enhanced graphics, and current news on predatory publishing. Our goal is to empower academics with the tools and awareness needed to protect their work and navigate the publishing landscape safely.