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isp_60_choosing_journal

This is the page you are looking at https://awandahl.github.io/isp_60_choosing_journal/

This is a support page and tool box for the ISP Webinar: Choosing a journal held at 2021-05-25.

Anders Wändahl email: [email protected]

Why should you do this?

  • Find the best possible journal for exactly your topic/subject and your audience
  • Find, compare and evaluate several journals in your field
  • Find alternative journals to submit to (in the unlikely event that you are rejected)
  • Find alternative journals that you didn't know of before - just as an orientation
  • Check time from submission to first decision and publication of the article, as well as the acceptance rate
  • Avoid to submit to a shady publisher

You will eventually arrive to a well motivated decision of a journal where to send your manuscript and you can - with pride - say something like...

"I have choosen to submit to the "International Journal of Fracture" because it is perfect for my topic, they accept the kind of article I have written, the metrics of the journal seems to be fairly good in comparison to other journals in the same field, the journal is covered by the major databases in my field, there is an Open Access option and the APC is waived by the publisher, the turn-around-time and acceptance rate seems fairly decent and my supervisor is also happy about my decison. By checking all aspects of this journal I also know that it isn't among the shady journals that sometimes are called predatory."

1. Find a candidate based on topic/subject, article type and study type:

The aim is to enter an abstract, and possibly a title and some keywords into a database and get examples of journals that has published in similar topics before.

Read About the Journal (Aims & scope) - Read Instructions for Authors

General non publisher-specific databases:

Publisher specific:

2. Check coverage/indexing in major bibliographic databases (database indexing)

The aim is to check that my journal is covered in as many databases as possible. The reason for this is that you really want your articla to be findable and visible by your colleagues. If you know that your colleagues use a specific database when they look for information in your topic, then make sure that your upcoming article will be included in that source. The information about the specific databases that cover a specific journal is called "database indexing" in librarian lingo.

  • Remember that Google Scholar isn't a major bibliographic database even though it's a very common tool for information searching!
  • Note that database indexing often is indicated on the journal webpages, see example at T&F.

General databases:

Subject specific:

Analytical Abstracts

Art & Architecture Complete

Chemical Abstracts/SciFinder

EconLit

Ei Compendex (find excel-sheet on page)

GEOBASE (find excel-sheet on page)

GeoRef

Inspec

Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts

MEDLINE/PubMed

Materials Science & Engineering Database

MathSciNet
Click on the journals tab

zbMATH NEWS FLASH - this database is Open Access as of 2021!!! Enjoy!!!

  An example on how to find information about a journal in a subject specific database : mathematics

3. Check journal ranking in your subject

The aim is to compare different journals in terms of the average number of citations received. This is called the Impact Factor in common language.

  • Remember to never compare two journals from different subject areas unless the indicator used is field-normalized
  • SJR and SNIP are field-normalized, JIF and CiteScore are not.

CWTS Journal Indicators

Journal Citations Reports

Scimago Journal & Country Rank

Scopus Sources

"Norwegian list"

4. Check the Open Access options

The aim is to check wether the journal you have in mind has any option for Open Access publishing (OA). To publish OA has become the norm and most research funders require that your research results is in the open, for everyone to read.

5. Check the funders' and journals' Research Data requirements

The aim is to find out if your research funder has any special research data requirements. Some journals and publishers also have demands when it comes to accompanying data. One very basic requirement is that you at least should have a plan for how you handle your data, a so called Data Management Plan (DMP).

6. Check Acceptance Rate, Turn-Around-Time, Peer Review and editorial policies

The aim is to find the average time it takes from the moment you submit your manuscript to the first decision, possible acceptance and finally real publication. Another number that is of interest is the likeliness that your manuscript is accepted, the so called acceptence rate. The acceptance rate is usually much lower in high ranking journals. It's also useful to know a little about the peer-review process.

Read About the Journal (Aims & scope) - Read Instructions for Authors - Read About the Journal (Aims & scope) - Read Instructions for Authors - Read About the Journal (Aims & scope) - Read Instructions for Authors - Read About the Journal (Aims & scope) - Read Instructions for Authors - Read About the Journal (Aims & scope) - Read Instructions for Authors

Peer review

  • Transpose (newly added to this page - not completely evaluated)
    A database of journal policies on peer review, co-reviewing, and preprinting

Editorial policies

  • Platform for Responsible Editorial Policies (PREP) (newly added to this page - not completely evaluated)
    PREP is an online platform contributing to the responsible organisation of editorial procedures by scholarly journals. It facilitates journal editors to become transparent about their editorial procedures, advises journal editors and publishers on potential improvements of their peer review procedures, and presents integrated information about the variety of review procedures currently in use. PREP also maintains a database of journals’ current peer review formats and provides information and tools for journals to use journal metrics in a responsible way.

7. Other aspects on your choice of journal

  • Policy for publishing at your university

  • Publishing tradition at your department

  • Your supervisor

  • Possibility to suggest peer-reviewers