Predatory publishing and journals can be defined as imposter open access journals that exploit the author pays open access model for their own profit.
You may also hear the term predatory conferences which refers to conferences which do not provide editorial control over the presentations and advertising of the conference may include claims of involvement of people who are not involved.
Common traits
Background Info
Do you or your colleagues, professors, or instructors know the journal?
Can you easily identify and contact the publisher?
Is the journal clear about the type of peer review it uses?
Is the journal indexed in databases that you use?
Is it clear what fees will be charged if any?
Do the editorial board members mention the journal on their own websites?
Is the publisher a member of a recognized industry initiative?
You may receive an email at some point from a journal telling you they will publish your research for a “small” fee. Be careful! Many of these emails are not legitimate and are fake journals that will publish anything for free. People have paid these fake journals and have been unable to retract or publish their article in real journals later due to copyright.