Selecting a journal

Things to  consider when selecting a journal

When you are considering where to publish you need to choose the most appropriate journal for your research. It is helpful to have selected a journal before you begin writing as this enables you to download the author guidelines to use as you write. Ensure that all of your co-authors agree with the choice of journal. 

So where should you start?

1. Think about what journals you read, what articles you will be citing, and where the leading researchers in your field publish. This will give you a list of journals to look at.
2. Look at the scope of each journal and aims to assess if they match your research and the paper you intend to write.
3. Think about who your research is for; is it for other researchers or is this something that you are hoping will have broader appeal – does the journal allow for that? For example if you are intending your article to have a broader appeal it would be unwise to submit it to a society journal that is for members only.
4. Look at journal policies and editorial quality. Are the policies easy to find and clear to understand? Do they explain the peer review process and an example timeline? Does this timeline seem appropriate? If the timeline is short it might not allow for proper peer review. Is the journal indexed in databases? Are they members of industry bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)?
5. Beware of predatory publishers offering a service that looks too good to be true, for example guaranteeing to publish your article on payment of a fee without a rigorous peer review process. The BMJ have published an article you may find helpful: How to avoid being duped by predatory journals.
6. You need to consider any mandates/requirements you need to meet such as your funders or if you have Ethics approval, does the journal policies meet the standards you need to reach? If you are required to publish open access does the journal provide an open access route?
7. What are the costs? Are there fees to pay and are they fair and reasonable? If there are fees do you have the funds to pay them, or are they covered by a University of Southampton publisher agreement?
   
8. Finally, if you can’t decide between journals take a look at their impact factors. These can be useful indicators of quality but should be used with caution to support, rather than replace, your expert judgement.

There are useful tools that can help you such as Think.Check.Submit