Blacklists are technically infeasible, practically unreliable and unethical. Period.

The removal of the Beall’s list of predatory publishers last month caused consternation and led to calls in some quarters for a new equivalent to be put in its place. Cameron Neylon explains why he has never been a supporter of the Beall’s list and outlines why he believes the concept of the blacklist itself is fundamentally flawed. Not only are blacklists incomplete by definition, they are highly susceptible to legal challenge and vulnerable to personal bias. Scholars should be able to decide for themselves what is a good venue from which to communicate their work.