Introduction
Once a manuscript is ready, the next important step is to select a right journal so that your article can be accessible to targeted audience and get higher visibility. Every written manuscript gives the insight to other researchers in the same field, advancing knowledge and provides ideas to further research. Publishing your paper in a suitable journal helps to advance your career, catch the attention of scientists and future researchers and many more. So our ultimate goal is to find out a journal which best suits to the article.
Below are some of the criterion to keep in mind when selecting a journal for manuscript submission.
1. Article and Scope of Journal
When you start searching a journal, first and foremost concern is to check whether the subject matter of the article is matched with the scope of targeted journal. Journals are very specific about their subject area or may be much focused. For example a cryptography journal publish the article based on historical cryptography research and cryptanalysis may not cover encryption/decryption techniques.
To increase the acceptability percentage, read aim and scope or about the journal section of the targeted journal to find out the best match with your paper’s contents.
2. Type of Article
An article can be a review paper, research paper, case study, short communication etc. Check whether the intended journal accepts the type of article, you are going to submit.
For example you want to submit a review report to a journal, which does not accept this kind of article , gives around 100% chance of manuscript rejection.
Similarly check for word count/ number of pages restriction of various types of articles accepted by the journal. Sometimes publishing of certain number of pages are free and afterward fees per pages or color figures are charged by the journal.
3. Open Access Policy
Reputed and well indexed journal publish your article free of cost which is to be purchased by the reader to gain access of that. The journal also offers open access facility upon payment to increase the visibility of your article by giving free accessibility to the outside world. You may have funding source to support the publishing cost of your article.
Thus it is essential to check “Information for author”/”Guide to author” section of the journal to observe the journal’s conditions and restrictions.
4. Target Audience
A multidisciplinary journal could have extensive accessibility of technical and non technical audiences whereas a journal with specific domain will emphasizes to only those articles which suit to its specific target audience. So focus on right readership rather than wide readership.
5. Editorial Board
Acceptance rate of an article also influenced by the eminent scientists, academicians and researchers associated with the journal as members of editorial board. At the time of selecting a journal have a look on journal’s editorial board and their affiliation.
6. Journal’s Turnaround Time
Turnaround time is defined as the date from when a manuscript was first received by the journal to the date the author of the manuscript was provided with a first decision. You can find turnaround time in the guide to author section of the journal or can be roughly measured with the help of number of issues a journal publishes.
For example if a journal publishes monthly issues then turnaround time will be less than one month. Journals with online manuscript submission have less turnaround time as compared to those that ask you to mail your manuscript.
7. Journal Visibility
Journal’s visibility plays an important role to enhance accessibility of the published articles:
- If your article is published in open access journal, it may increase the number of times your article is being cited.
- If your article is published in a journal which provides accessibility through subscription, it may reduce the visibility of published article.
- If the journal publishes article only in print form, it may limit the reachability of researchers.
8. Journal Archive
Search the journal for frequent published topics by looking its archive. Previous published articles give insight about the type and widely accepted topics by the journal. You can also do quick keyword search in the database of the selected journals.
9. Role of Peers, Supervisor and Researchers
If you are a new author, it may be helpful talking to your peers and supervisors about their experience of specific journal. You can also refer the journals of established researchers who are working in the same field and you are citing their work as well by-
- Looking their personal web page.
- Referring journal of previously published paper.
Conclusion
A manuscript written after successful research and with so much of hard work required a right journal so that your research can be widely accessible. A wrong selection of journal can cost hard work, moral, valuable time, effort and money. Essentially at the time of journal selection carefully read about the journal, aim and scope, instruction for author, article processing fees, restriction on manuscript length, type of paper format (word/latex) and review time so that smooth paper publication in an appropriate journal can take place.