When it comes to finding the right journal to which to submit your research, there can be thousands of options to choose from within your subject area. Beyond that, you’re also in constant competition with other researchers seeking to have their work published in those same journals. With predatory publishers lurking and targeting academicians who are unsure of the processes, finding the right journal can seem daunting.
Meeting Your Expectations
It stands to reason that, when publishing your manuscript, you have some expectations in mind and are seeking a journal that will accommodate you. Having requirements can help rule out journals right away. Some things to consider could be:
- Open vs. Closed Access
- Open access articles require the author, or funding body, to pay an article processing fee upfront. In turn, the article will be available without a paywall and can be viewed by anyone at any time, potentially increasing your citation impact.
- Closed access, known as “traditional publishing,” puts all the fees on the publisher rather than the author. While this may be preferable to some authors for the sake of saving money, it means readers will have to buy or rent the content, which could prevent a wider readership of your work.
- Impact Factor/Ranking
- Many researchers are looking to have their work highly cited and easily discoverable by others in their field. If this is you, you may want to consider a minimum impact factor or rating through a specific index to allow for better discoverability of your work. Think about the Web of Science impact factor or if the journal has a high CiteScore rating before submitting.
- Time Constraints
- If you’re in a hurry to have your work published, whether for academic or personal reasons, be sure to consider how long the decision process for a specific journal might take. More popular journals will receive more submissions and, as a result, may require longer for the review process and to decide on whether to accept or reject your paper. Keep in mind that this is an ideal time to seek copy editing for your work. Utilizing editorial services such as the ones offered by eContent Pro will enhance and polish your work, making it stand out and allowing it to move quickly through the submission process.
Be Mindful of Predatory Publishers
It might seem simple to do a quick Google search to find journals that seem worthy of publishing your research, but be careful. Taking this route can easily lead you astray and into the world of predatory publishers. You may find journals offering unrealistically fast publication timelines that seem to be exactly what you want, until they ask for you to pay. Your best, and safest, option is to find a reputable, trusted publisher offering a journal finder service that can steer you away from a publisher seeking to take advantage.
Utilizing journal finder services like the one offered by eContent Pro can save you from the headache of giving up the rights to your research just to be published in a blacklisted journal. Being associated with a predatory publisher can be detrimental to your career, your research, and your credibility. Here are things to look for when trying to find a journal:
- Publisher
- While it’s not necessarily a dead giveaway that you’re dealing with a predatory publisher, oftentimes, if you have never heard of the publisher of the journal, it may be predatory. Journals from major academic publishers such as IGI Global, Springer, Taylor & Francis, and Elsevier, along with many university presses, are typically trustworthy and a good place to start your journal search.
- Affiliation
- A sure sign that you’ve found a credible journal is if they are members of prestigious committees, such as the Committee on Publishing Ethics (COPE). COPE verifies a journal’s intentions and ethical practices as authentic, and affiliations like these are often listed on a journal’s webpage for full transparency.
- Publication Process
- You’ll want to know the publication process for a journal before submitting, so you know what to expect. Look for a journal’s publication process online, like the type of peer review they use or how they make decisions on which papers to accept or reject.
- Content
- It may seem obvious, but if you find a journal contains articles published with many grammatical or calculation errors, manipulated images, clear and intentional plagiarism, or poor research ethics, you’ve likely found a journal that should not be trusted.
- Online Reputation
- A quick Google search can actually be helpful to a degree because it can give you an idea of a journal’s credibility. Victims of a journal’s predatory practices will often vocalize their displeasure to warn others. Pay attention to what others say about the journal and/or the publisher. Any blog posts, reviews, or appearances on lists are a great way to determine a journal’s reputation. While it’s important to know this information in advance, do keep in mind that one bad review does not mean a journal
is predatory.
How Journal Finders Can Help You
A Google search will return page after page of journals, which can be overwhelming and confusing. With a journal finder service, you’ll receive a narrowed-down, credible list with all the key information to make the right choice for your research. Once you have this list, you can focus on the more minute details of each journal to determine which one stands out the most and would be most fitting for your research. Here are some aspects of the selected journals you’ll want to look at:
- Aims and Scope/Topic Coverage
- All journals will provide a description and the kind of submissions they are looking to receive for publication. Some descriptions may include a topic list, or it may be listed separately. Read through these details carefully and determine where your research fits best for your highest chance
of acceptance. - Indexing and Journal Rankings
- Some universities require that you not only publish your research, but that you do so in a journal that is featured in a specific index or abstraction service, like Scopus or Web of Science. Additionally, higher citation impacts, or ratings, generally mean higher esteem and, as a result, higher readership. Consider these rankings when choosing your journal, as they can greatly impact how widely circulated your
work becomes. - Restrictions and Guidelines
- Pay attention to the journal’s guidelines. Not following their set guidelines can mean immediate rejection of your work. Whether it be word count limits or page number minimums, you want to make sure your manuscript matches accordingly.
- Similar Articles
- A sure sign that you’ve found the right journal is if there are similar articles already published within the journal. Whether your research builds off the concepts of one of their recently published articles or otherwise closely aligns with one, they will likely be more inclined to publish your manuscript. As long as your work aligns with the scope of the journal, it’s a safe bet that your work will be accepted
for publication.
Services to Meet Your Needs
A simple way to ensure you’ve found the right journals to consider is to utilize eContent Pro's free Journal Finder. Simply provide a few key details about your manuscript and we will provide you with a list of relevant, Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)-affiliated journals within your subject area. Armed with this information, you’ll be able to further research and find the journal best suited for your research.
To further streamline this process and save you additional time, eContent Pro offers a Journal Recommendation service. With this paid service, our journal selection experts will provide you with a more in-depth, comprehensive list of five journals to consider with all the pertinent information you will need to make an informed decision.
The best way utilize eContent Pro’s Journal Recommendation service is to pair it with other editorial services that will enhance your research. While finding the right journal is key, so is ensuring your work is polished prior to submission. Unsure of your research’s significance to your field and want to ensure readability at the same time? With our bundled services, you can take advantage of all eContent Pro’s crucial pre-submission services. Our Platinum Editorial Services will provide you with the needed journal recommendations while also giving you peace of mind that your manuscript is impactful, clear, and ready for acceptance in your targeted publication.
Utilize eContent Pro’s Journal Recommendation service today to start your publication process or use any of our vital editorial services to increase your manuscript’s chance of acceptance and alleviate delays in the peer review process. Get started today by uploading your document or contacting customerservice@econtentpro.com directly.
About eContent Pro: eContent Pro is a U.S.-based professional editorial and publishing services provider for authors, publishing houses, libraries, organizations, university presses, and societies. Offering professional copy editing, translation, scientific and scholarly editing, journal recommendation, typesetting, figure, chart, table, and equation conversions, as well as other production services, we have provided the highest quality editorial services and content advisement to scholarly outlets and individuals around the world. To learn more about eContent Pro, visit the website here or email customerservice@econtentpro.com.
