Finding a Journal for your Manuscript

Publishing strategically increases visibility of research, leading to more readership and citations. Placing your work in the journal will evaluate your author identity and can expand your collaboration opportunities. Here are ways to find the most relevant audience for your study.

1. Review your reference list. If you cite a journal several times, it is likely to publish research like yours.

2. Use journal finders. Enter your manuscript's title and abstract to find journals that match your topic. Then, find out more details by using Cabells Journalytics Medicine.

Journal / Author Name Estimator (JANE): Tags journals indexed in MEDLINE and open access journals approved by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Edanz Journal Selector: Find journals from any publisher and indexed any database. Provides metrics and notes indexing in Web of Science’s Science Citation Index.

3. Consider a journal's metrics to determine its quality.  Top tier journals have high submission and lower acceptance rates.

4. Read about the journal's scope, audience, reputation, length restrictions, time to publication, and indexing.  Most researchers will find your article through a literature search, so make sure the journal is indexed in major disciplinary databases, such as MEDLINE (and therefore appears in PubMed).

Journal Selection FAQs

Is it ok to publish in a journal that had no fees? The traditional publishing model, where there are no author fees, but the reader pays a subscription to read the articles, is almost always reputable. On the other hand, Open Access journals charge authors so the public can read the articles for free. This can increase your audience, but it is a model shared by both reputable and disreputable journals.

Are acceptance rates above 50% suspect? Maybe, but maybe not. Journals that publish reviews and editorials rather than original research have higher acceptance rates.

Do impact factor averages differ by discipline? Yes. For an entry-level researcher, consider journals with an impact factor under two for a greater chance of manuscript acceptance.

Is fast publishing a red flag? Probably. A turn-around time of under six weeks is an indicator of a predatory publisher. Reputable journals will spend time on peer-review.

What if I do not find recommendations based on my abstract? Try entering keywords instead, especially those found in articles you are citing as references.

How do I avoid predatory publishers? Follow these steps:

·       Evaluate every journal before submitting your work using Think. Check. Submit.

·       Never pay an Open Access fee before a paper is accepted.

·       Check for Medline Indexing! Predatory journals falsely claim indexing in major databases.

·       Read the journal. Look for errors, out-of-scope content, or nonsense.

·       Contact a librarian to evaluate the journal: hsl@geisinger.edu