I am not sure if I should list a first author publication that I have in an open access journal. I have heard that most of these journals are predatory so I am not sure if listing it would look bad. They did charge a fee, which is consistent with all the horrible things I have read about online. People seem to think that publishing in a predatory journal is worse than not publishing at all. However, my professor is very well respected in his field and he recommended this specific journal, so I am inclined to trust his experience. The impact factor is only a few points, but I did research in a very niche field so even the most reputable journals have a lower impact factor. Just a bit worried that the first impression upon reviewing my application is that I'm disingenuous and trying to pad my research experience.
Is there any way for me to explain this on my application? Thanks!
Is there any way for me to explain this on my application? Thanks!