Predatory Publishing in the MENA region: a scoping review

Global studies of predatory publishing routinely point out the stronghold predatory publishing has on the global south. Nuances within large geographic areas like Africa and Asia are often overlooked. Specific countries appear like repeat offenders through years of academic literature on predatory publishing. Little attention is given to the work intended to dispel predatory publishing from the region. This scoping review focuses on the MENA region, which is usually identified as problematic for predatory publishing but rarely shares insights on the issue from within the region. It is crucial to consider articles that share what is known about predatory publishing in the MENA region, what work is being done regionally to combat it, and to identify where researchers within the region are engaging with predatory publishing in their respective disciplines. A scoping review of the scholarly literature will reveal the gaps and determine where researchers and librarians need to respond to predatory publishing. The research provides the footing for future research to compare the extent of predatory publishing with academic engagement in combating it.