This site has been six years in the making and has two main purposes.
One is designed to benefit academics in general but particularly early-career scholars from middle and low income countries. It provides lists of publishers, standalone journals and conference marketers that lie, cheat and steal. In other words, those that have come to be known as ‘predatory.’ Although it continues Jeffrey Beall’s project from where he left off in 2017, which is now out of date and has lost most of its practical utility, it is not a ‘new Beall’s list.’ By definition, only Beall himself could provide that. Nonetheless, it could not have been devised and developed without Beall’s seminal influence. The Scholarly Outlaws lists are simplified, modernised, transparent, kept recent and presented in a readily understood way. The account given on the home page gives more detailed information.
The other main purpose is to provide university librarians and policy makers with the information and evidence they need to upgrade their coverage of predatory publishers in advice bulletins and to take legal action against the worst offenders.