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Where (and Where Not) to Publish Your Work

Before submitting your manuscript, be sure to research your chosen journal/s and avoid those with predatory practices.

Finding Journals for Your Articles

IDENTIFY Journals

You probably want to publish your articles where they will have the greatest impact -- where they will be read and cited. Which journal has the appropriate scope and audience for your research?

Note:  One of the benefits of open access publishing is that it is open for all readers, rather than those with a subscription.

See our Open Access guide for more information.

Suggestions:

  • Look at which journals publish the articles you consult on your research topic
  • Ask your colleagues; ask your library liaison
  • Search library databases for your topic, and find out what journals are publishing those articles. Use the Publication limit option (if available) to see a ranked listing of the journals.
  • ChronosHub Journal Finder lets you browse, search, filter, sort, and compare more than 40,000 journals.
  • Another journal finder is Web of Science which uses EndNote Online [PDF]
  • Many publishers offer journal selection tools, including Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley focusing on the journals they publish.

Once you identify possible journals, evaluate those journals:

  • Use the various databases listed in the next tab (Databases/Lists for Journal Information) to find journal rankings and other data.
  • Look for journal information on the journal publisher's page (some large publishers are listed on the Databases/Lists tab).
    • Look at criteria such as:
      • Journal Affiliation (scholarly? society? commercial?)
      • Aims and Scope (disciplinary/interdisciplinary? is it a fit for your topic?)
      • Audience (specific readership?)
      • Editorial Board
      • Peer Review (double blind? single blind? open?)
      • Acceptance rate
      • Indexing sources (what databases include the journal?)
      • Open Access availability (Article processing charges?)
      • Journal impact factor (see Journal/Publisher Metrics on the Research Impact & Metrics guide)
  • Use Think Check Submit - A simple checklist researchers can use to assess the credentials of a journal or publisher.

Think. Check. Submit. from Think. Check. Submit. on Vimeo.

DATABASES/LISTS for Journal Information

These are some online databases that can help you choose where to publish your work.  It's also a good idea to look at the journal site, where you can often find metrics and other information about the journal.

JOURNAL LISTS BY DISCIPLINE:

PUBLISHER JOURNAL LISTS:

OPEN ACCESS Journals

Use our Open Access guide to find Open Access Journals.

As with all publishing, open access journals can have predatory publishers.  Be sure to also refer to the AVOID PREDATORY JOURNALS tab.

Organizations

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