Misinformation and Disinformation: A Guide for Protecting Yourself
False news is not a new concept. It’s just a new phrase describing an old problem that has always existed in some form or another. It has wormed its way into the national discourse through counterfeit news outlets, bogus print publications, and social media. False news refers to text, social media posts, images, videos, websites (counterfeit, imposters, propaganda, etc.), advertisements, and anything else that can be manipulated or used out of original context. There are many types of misleading news; however, MDI (misinformation/disinformation) is the most prevalent.
The only way to stop the spread of false and misleading news is to exercise a healthy dose of informed skepticism and follow the “when in doubt, then don’t” rule. Don’t use information in an assignment, post it on social media, or relay it to others in any way that implies truth, if you suspect it is not completely truthful.
Learning how to evaluate what you read, view, and hear is an essential skill for your academic and personal life.
Cabell's Predatory Reports helps researchers and potential authors identify journals that are published using questionable, suspicious, or deceptive strategies.
Journals listed in this directory are designated as predatory. Predatory publishers lie about their business practices for the purpose of pure profit; or in other words, they publish anything submitted by authors willing to pay the article processing fees. The most common lies involve:
Predatory publishers manufacture journal content that contaminates and undermines the trustworthiness of scholarly academic publishing.
