Barw Barw Medical Journal 2960-1959 2025 11 25 Renaming the Problem: Why ‘Non-Recommended Journals’ Is Preferable To ‘Predatory’ in Academic Publishing 33 41 10.58742/bmj.v4i1.213 eng Frederick M. Tiesenga Chairman of Surgery, Director of Bariatric Surgery, Department of surgery Loyala, Community First Medical Center, Chicago, USA. Tieseng@gmail.com Daniel Rodger Operating Department Practice, College of Health and Life Sciences, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA, United Kingdom. RodgerDaniel@gmail.com Benjamin Saracco Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA. Saracco@gmail.com Baichang Zhong School of Information Technology in Education, South China Normal University, No.55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Guangzhou, 510631, China. Zhong@gmail.com Andrea Cortegiani Department of Precision Medicine in Medical, Surgical and Critical Care Area (Me.Pre.C.C.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Cortegiani@gmail.com Sjaak Pouwels Department of Surgery, University Hospital OWL of Bielefeld University, Campus Klinikum Lippe, Detmold, NRW, Germany. Pouwelssjaak@gmail.com Rawezh Qadir M. Salih Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Kirkuk Road, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Rawezh.mohammed@univsul.edu.iq Ayman M. Mustafa Department of Scientific Affairs, Smart Health Tower, Madam Mitterrand Street, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. aymanmajid75@gmail.com Michele Meoli University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy. Meolimichele@gmail.com Alessandro De Cassai Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy. DeCassai@gmail.com Andreas Nishikawa-Pacher Vienna School of International Studies, Austria; University of Vienna, Austria. Nishikawa.Pacher@gmail.com Khritish Swargiary Independent researcher, India. Swargiary@gmail.com Svitlana Fiialka National Technical University of Ukraine, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ukraine. Fiialkasvitlana@gmail.com Purvi Raj Bhagat M & J Western Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, B.J.Medical College & Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Bhagatpurvi@gmail.com Suad Kunosic Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kunosic@gmail.com Rosa Rodriguez-Sánchez Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación e I. A., CITIC-UGR, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Granada, 18071 Spain. Rodriguez.Sánchez@gmail.com Kaushik Bhattacharya Department of Surgery, Mata Gujri Memorial Medical College and LSK Hospital, Kishanganj - 855107, Bihar, India. Bhattacharya@gmail.com Marco Cascella Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy. Cascellamarco@gmail.com Mohmedhanif Nashipudi Government First Grade College, Savadatti, Distt- Belgaum, Karnatka, India. Nashipudi@gmail.com Bharat Gurnani Gomabai Netralaya and Research Centre, Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, India. Gurnanibharat@gmail.com Kirandeep Kaur Gomabai Netralaya and Research Centre, Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, India. Kaurkirandeep@gmail.com P. Paramashivaiah Tumkur University, Vishwavidyanilaya Karyalaya, BH Road, Tumakuru, Karnataka, India. Paramashivaiah@gmail.com B.T Sampath Kuma Department of Studies and Research in Library and Information Science Tumkur University, Tumakuru -03 Karnataka, India. Kumasampath@gmail.com Givheart Dano Faculty of the Institute of Arts and Sciences, Tangub City Global College Tangub City, Philippines. Danogivheart@gmail.com Mallikarjun Dora Vikram Sarabhai Library, IIMA, Campus Entrance Road, I I M, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380015, India. Dora@gmail.com Bolaji David Oladokun Department of Library and Information Technology, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria. Oladokundavid@gmail.com Manzoor V. Babu Department of Library and Information Science, Farook College, Kerala, India. Babumanzoor@gmail.com AR. Saravanakumar Department of Education, CDOE, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India. kumar@gmail.com Usman Muhammed Song Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria. Songusman@gmail.com Vemma Mae R. Guinto Faculty, Pangasinan State University, Bayambang Campus, Philippines. Guinto@gmail.com Karthik N. Rao Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation, Bangalore, India. Raokarthik@gmail.com Alireza Akbari Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. Akbari@gmail.com Arslan Sheikh COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Road, Islamabad - Pakistan . Sheikh@gmail.com Punnya Angadi Department of Oral Pathology, KLE VK Institute of Dental Sciences, India. Angadipunnya@gmail.com Johnkennedy Nnodim Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria. Nnodim@gmail.com Jafaru Aliyu Shinkafi Abdullahi Fodiyo Library Complex, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. Shinkafi@gmail.com Sanjeev Rastogi Department of Integrative Medicine, Vatsala Hospital, Tulsi Das Marg, Lucknow, India. Rastogi@gmail.com Kunle Oparinde Durban University of Technology, South Africa.. Oparinde@gmail.com Klimis Ntalianis University of West Attica, Egaleo, Athens, Greece. Ntalianis@gmail.com Saeeda Abdullah Shifa College of Dentistry, Shifa Tameer e Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Abdullah@gmail.com Atanu Chandra Department of Internal Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India. Chandra@gmail.com Collence Chisita Durban University of Technology, South Africa.. Chisita@gmail.com Mohd Amzari Tumiran Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia. Tumiran@gmail.com Haneen Ali Haleem Department of English, College of Education for Human Sciences, University of Babylon, Hilla, Iraq.. HanenHaleem@gmail.com Harsh Deora Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Deora@gmail.com 2025 09 17 (on the original article) This article has a Corrigendum. Please see the Corrigendum at: https://doi.org/10.58742/bmj.v4i1.225 The term "predatory journals" is widely used to describe publishing practices that exploit authors, compromise research quality, and mislead readers. Its use, however, has frequently led to legal threats and professional conflicts for individuals and institutions who call out such deceptive practices.  Most notably, Jeffrey Beall, the creator of Beall’s List, faced legal threats and personal harassment, which ultimately led him to discontinue his work. To address these challenges, scholars have proposed replacing “predatory journals” with more neutral alternatives, such as “questionable journals”. This study recommends using the term “non-recommended journals,” which similarly avoids accusatory language while signaling the need for caution by scholars and institutions. By avoiding direct allegations of unethical conduct, the term "non-recommended" reduces the likelihood of legal repercussions and professional disputes. Adopting this terminology enables researchers and institutions to continue addressing concerns about low-quality or deceptive publishing practices while fostering a more constructive dialogue. This reframing encourages constructive dialogue, broader institutional engagement, and stronger collective efforts to uphold high ethical publishing standards and protect academic integrity.