A community-maintained, open-source dataset of predatory conference organizers and events that exploit researchers through deceptive academic meetings.
Maintained by callforpaper.org — used to power backend trust-scoring and protect researchers from predatory CFPs.
| File / Folder | Description |
|---|---|
schema/entity.schema.json |
JSON Schema specifying data formats for organizers and conferences |
organizers/ |
Folder containing structured YAML files for predatory organizers |
conferences/ |
Folder containing structured YAML files for individual conferences (grouped by organizer) |
dist/ |
Compiled output JSON files containing all processed entities |
evidence/ |
Raw HTML snapshots and screenshots proving red flags |
methodology.md |
Core standards, red flag definitions, and dispute process |
CONTRIBUTING.md |
Guidelines for issues, PRs, and running local validation |
Predatory conferences exploit researchers by:
- Charging registration fees without providing genuine academic value
- Having no real peer review process (anyone can buy a speaking slot)
- Using deceptive names mimicking legitimate conferences
- Spamming researchers with unsolicited invitations
- Publishing proceedings in predatory journals
- Sometimes canceling events after collecting fees
Key identifiers: Overly broad scope, tourist destinations, grammatical errors, no clear organizer affiliations, thousands of simultaneous events, fake indexing claims.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Predatory organizers | 50 |
| Flagged conference series | 28 |
| Sources compiled | 8 |
| Last full refresh | July 2026 |
This dataset is compiled and deduplicated from:
- Beall's List (archived) — Jeffrey Beall's original predatory publishers/organizers list
- stop-predatory-journals — GitHub-maintained list of predatory publishers
- Caltech Questionable Conferences — Dana Roth's curated list (90+ organizers)
- Dolos List — 34 dubious organizers list
- boytchev/spam — Academic spam metadata collected from researchers
- WASET documentation — World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
- OMICS International — FTC-charged predatory publisher/conference organizer
- Community submissions — Via GitHub issues and PRs
See data/sources.csv for full attribution.
This repo is the upstream data source for callforpaper.org's backend trust-scoring system. The integration works as follows:
GitHub repo (this) → weekly sync → callforpaper.org backend → CFP trust scores
- Organizer domains are matched against CFP submissions
- Matched entries influence the verification badge system (Listed → Verified → Trusted → Premium)
- New entries from callforpaper.org's detection pipeline are contributed back here
All entries in the dataset are stored in structured YAML files matching the JSON Schema defined in schema/entity.schema.json.
type:organizerorconferenceslug: Unique identifier stringstatus:active_flag|disputed|resolved|unverifiedred_flags: List of flagged behaviors matching versioned methodology criteriaevidence: Cryptographically hashed and snapshot-linked evidence itemsdisputes: Dispute registry to capture organizer/third-party disputes transparently
We use automated workflows to manage dataset additions, schema validation, and API builds:
- Triage & Duplicate Verification (
issue-triage.yml): Triggered when a new report issue is opened. Runs automated checks for existing domain/name duplicates. If the entry is new, it requests wayback machine archival, maps data to compliant YAML schema format, and opens a Pull Request. - Schema & QA Verification (
validate.yml): Runs QA tests checking YAML validation, missing file references, future dates, and cross-reference integrity on every PR. - Distribution Compilation (
compile-report.yml): Upon merging tomain, compiles individual YAML records into flat JSON arrays atdist/and commits them back to the repository.
We welcome contributions! The most helpful are:
- New entries — via issue or PR with evidence
- Corrections — if an entry is wrong or outdated
- Source additions — pointing to other curated lists we haven't ingested
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
⚠️ Standard of evidence: All new entries should have a public evidence URL (news article, FTC action, university advisory, archived documentation, etc.). We do not accept unsubstantiated nominations.
Data is released under CC0 1.0 Universal (public domain). Use freely.
This dataset represents community-flagged information. Inclusion does not constitute legal accusation. Some entries marked suspected reflect patterns consistent with predatory behavior but may not be definitively confirmed. See status field.
Built on the shoulders of Jeffrey Beall, the stop-predatory-journals community, Dana Roth (Caltech), and researchers worldwide who document and expose predatory practices.