Glossary
DOAJ
The Directory of Open Access Journals lists peer-reviewed open access journals that meet a set of published criteria on editorial process, licensing and fee transparency. Inclusion is often used as a first filter when checking whether a journal is legitimate.
Reviewed 1 August 2026
In practice
Fee transparency
DOAJ requires journals to state their charges clearly, including whether waivers exist. That requirement is one reason DOAJ records are a usable source for fee data.
What listing does and does not prove
Listing indicates that a journal met the criteria when assessed. It is not an assessment of scholarly quality and not a substitute for reading the journal.
Common misconceptions
DOAJ listing is not the same as Scopus or Web of Science indexing. The three serve different purposes.