Integrative review uncovers seventy distinct hallmarks of predatory conferences across academic fields, highlighting tools to evaluate conference authenticity.
This paper presents an integrative review of predatory conferences. It proposes the Seventy Hallmarks of Absurd Meetings (S.H.A.M.), a list that can serve as a tool for libraries, institutes, academics, and researchers to identify a conference’s authenticity. A full-text screening of 31 relevant articles across eight fields of study published between 2015 and 2024 was conducted. The tabulation of the list accompanied a frequency analysis for each trait. Since conferences serve as essential venues for networking, information exchange, and awareness of recent advances in a field of study, it is prudent for potential delegates to protect their reputations by attending only legitimate conferences.
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Shukla et al. (2026) studied this question.
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