Predatory Journal Risk and Structural Inequities in African Research Publishing: Implications for Uganda

Predatory Journal Risk

Abstract

Predatory Journal Risk and Structural Inequities in African Research Publishing: Implications for Uganda

BACKGROUND:
Predatory journals exploit researchers by charging publication fees without providing credible peer review or editorial standards. Researchers in low-resource settings may be especially vulnerable because of publication pressure, limited mentorship, weak institutional support, and poor access to trusted publishing guidance. In Uganda, consultancy-driven academic work and fragile research support systems may further increase this risk among early-career scholars.

AIM:
To examine whether patterns in African clinical trial activity reflect broader structural inequities that may increase predatory journal risk, with particular relevance to Uganda’s emerging researcher pipeline.

METHODS:
We drew on a cross-sectional audit of interventional trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov through April 2026, comparing African countries with the United States. Registry metadata were used to describe research volume and distribution, while the interpretation was informed by PubMed literature on predatory publishing, publication pressure, and research-capacity constraints in Africa and Uganda.

RESULTS:
Africa contributed 3,515 relevant trials compared with 159,433 in the United States, indicating a marked imbalance in research volume, with activity concentrated in a few countries. Such uneven research ecosystems can leave young researchers in countries like Uganda with fewer supported pathways to publish in reputable journals, increasing susceptibility to deceptive invitations and low-quality outlets. Evidence from Africa links predatory publishing to publish-or-perish pressure, limited funding, and weak scholarly support structures.

CONCLUSION:
Predatory journal risk in Uganda should be understood not only as an individual awareness problem, but also as a symptom of structural inequities in research investment, mentorship, and publishing support. Strengthening local mentorship, institutional library systems, and protected research career pathways is essential.

KEYWORDS: Uganda; predatory journals; Africa; research capacity; mentorship; publication pressure; scholarly publishing.