Publishing Your Research

Finding the right publication venue is one of the most important steps in sharing your research. This guide will help you evaluate journals and conferences, avoid predatory publishers, and align your publishing choices with your research goals and funder requirements.

Key Criteria to Consider:

• Scope and Audience: Does the journal align with your topic and reach the audience you want to engage?
• Reputation and Impact: Consider journal reputation, publisher credibility, and metrics such as Impact Factor, h-index, or Scimago Journal Rank (SJR).
• Access Model: Understand the difference between open access and subscription-based models, including implications for visibility and cost.
• Indexing and Discoverability: Check whether the journal is indexed in trusted databases like Scopus, Web of Science, or the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Tip: Start your search on the University Libraries homepage. Use the "Journals/Periodicals" search to browse journals by subject, keywords, or abstract to find journals relevant to your research.

What are Predatory Publishers?

These publishers exploit the academic need to publish by charging fees without providing legitimate peer review, editing, or archiving.

Common Red Flags:

• Fake or inflated impact factors
• Lack of editorial board transparency
• Unclear peer review process
• Email solicitations for submissions or editorial roles
• Promises of fast publication and low fees (that later increase)

How to Vet a Journal:

• Use Think. Check. Submit. to guide your evaluation
• Search UlrichsWeb to verify indexing and publisher details
• Ask a mentor or librarian for a second opinion

Why It Matters:

Publishing in a predatory journal can harm your reputation, reduce the visibility of your research, and potentially invalidate your work for promotion or funding.

Start with These Questions:

• Where do you and your colleagues publish or cite most often?
• Is the journal affiliated with a reputable publisher or scholarly society?
• Does it meet your institution’s requirements for tenure or funding?

Additional Considerations:

• Target Audience: Is the journal’s readership aligned with your intended audience?
• Peer Review: Is the process transparent and rigorous? Is the journal clearly peer-reviewed?
• Funder Requirements: If your work is funded, does the journal allow compliance with public access mandates (e.g., NIH, CDC)?
• Turnaround Time: Do you need rapid publication for time-sensitive work? Check the journal’s frequency and review process.
• Article Types: Does the journal accept the kind of article you’re writing (e.g., original research, review, short communication)?
• Ethics and Reporting: Look for policies on plagiarism, informed consent, and reporting standards (e.g., PRISMA, CONSORT).

Acceptance Rates

Acceptance rates are sometimes provided on publisher websites as part of the instructions to authors' material. If you cannot find the acceptance rate of a journal by using the tools provided or viewing the journal's website, try contacting the editor directly. Be aware that some journals make their acceptance rates easily available, others consider this proprietary information and do not. In general, lower journal acceptance rates are considered more prestigious.