Publishing Tips: Identifying Journals for Manuscript Submission

(Photo by Nick Youngson)

While journals are the popular choice for faculty, they are not the only option (e.g. blogs, websites, or repositories). Reflect on the following:

Why are you publishing?

Who is the audience for the publication? Consider where they find their information. This may mean venues other than journals.

Criteria for consideration:

• Is the journal peer reviewed? This will be an important factor for faculty seeking tenure and promotion and those wanting to publish a research manuscript. Consult your college promotion and tenure documentation for scholarship requirements.

• Which databases (if any) index the journals under consideration? Choosing a journal that is indexed in discipline-specific databases increases an article’s discoverability. Database indexing can be found on the journal's website.

• Does journal impact factor matter? While most faculty prefer to publish in a high impact factor journal, the higher the impact factor, usually, the harder it is to get a manuscript accepted.

• Is journal publication frequency important? Some journals publish bi-monthly and some only semi- or even annually. Time sensitive research or an approaching tenure application deadline may factor into the journal decision.

• How is the journal’s relationship with their authors? Some journals are more responsive than others. If possible, ask colleagues about their experiences publishing in a particular journal.

• What is the journal’s acceptance rate? This metric is not always included on the journal website, but if listed, it will provide some idea of how much competition a manuscript might face.

• Is publishing Open Access (OA) an option? There are some definite advantages to choosing the OA route (e.g. copyright control). Some journals are exclusively OA, but many well-known journals offer a hybrid; authors can choose either OA or traditional publishing.

• What is the estimated time to decision? This metric is not always available on the journal website either, but is helpful in providing some idea as to how long you are going to have to wait.

Pre-Submission Tips:

Read the Aim and Scope carefully.

• ensure your article meets the criteria set forth by the journal. For example: Does the journal require or prohibit certain methodologies?

Read the Author Guidelines

• Check word counts and page lengths; verify the paper fits the caps
• Confirm citation style required
• Verify formatting
• Verify document blinding, if required

Journal Finders

Discipline Specific

Multi-disciplinary Resources:

Publisher and Vendor Specific Resources:

Other Methods for Identifying Journals

• Ask a colleague - choose a journal recommended by a colleague
• Check references from your literature search - where were those articles published?
• Check the publications list within the database you want your article to be indexed in. Most provide the option for a subject search (e.g. law or education) in order to focus the journal title results.
• Perform a broad search in a favorite database using your author-supplied keywords. Where were the resulting articles published?