Talk to your peers, mentors, or supervisors about where they publish and the journals they like to read. Particularly if you are new to publishing. Look at the material that you read, what format it is in and who publishes it.
Use the information in this section to help you to create a short list of potential publishers.
https://unsplash.com/photos/pile-of-books-tofagMI_UCM, Jan Mellström
It’s a good idea to write with a particular journal in mind. Check the aims and scope of the journal to ensure that it matches your criteria (what, who, how). You should also check if the journal accepts the type of material that you want to publish, for example, a case study, literature review or research article. Identify any standards that may be required such as the referencing style and general submission guidelines.
There are different ways to identify a suitable journal to publish in. You can conduct a keyword search based on your topic. Using a database from the library a-z is a good place to start. For example, Web of Science or Scopus cover a wide variety of subject areas. If you want a journal that covers a specific subject, subject focused databases can be found through the subject guides.
Many publishers have a tool that will help you to select a suitable journal from their publishing catalogue. Other journal matchers are based on specific subject areas, for example JANE. Journal matchers attempt to match the text from your title and abstract to journals that have recently published on a similar topic.
Jane (Journal Author Name Estimator) Uses PubMed
EndNote Clarivate (Uses Web of Science Core Collection)
Choosing to publish in a specialist publication within your subject area may increase your visibility and impact within that specific research field. It could also generate opportunities for collaboration. However, choosing to publish in a small specialist publication means your audience will be smaller compared to that of a journal that covers a broader range of topics and that will appeal to a larger audience. Consequently, there’s a possibility that your research might be less visible to other researchers in your specific area. Multidisciplinary journals can have more competition to get published due to their broader appeal so it could be more difficult to get your paper accepted for publication.
For more information on the topic and scope of a journal, please look at this short video from IFIS Publishing.
If you want to let other researchers, academics, students, or the general public know about your research, you will need to target publications that they read. For example, if you want to reach academics or other researchers, you should try to identify scholarly or peer reviewed publications. If you are hoping to reach students, researchers or academics using a less formal approach, you might consider a blog.
Getting published in a non-academic publication could help you to develop a reputation as an expert in the field and enhance your reputation with a wider non-academic audience. It can also help you to develop your writing skills. Options for reaching a wider audience include RTÉ BrainStorm popular magazines, like Scientific American, newspapers or social media.
Some journals can take up to a year to complete the process of peer review and publication. However, turnaround times that appear to be very quick, with little or no delay could indicate broader quality issues with the publication. Publishers usually provide approximate timelines for the process. Check under the “instructions for authors” section on the publishers’ website for further details.
If you would like another perspective on turnaround times please read the following article by Runde.
You want your work to be seen by your target audience. To achieve this goal your material will need to be published in a well-regarded publication that is read by your peers or preferred audience. The reputation of the journal is important. So ask yourself,
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
