16 | Journal Selection Simplified

Too often researchers rush through the journal selection process and pick a target journal that is not a good venue for their unpublished paper. Inevitably, this haste results in numerous rejections and an inefficient use of time for both authors and journal editors. Yes, the journal selection process is not always easy, but it is well worth the effort to do it well. In particular, selection of a journal that is a good fit for a manuscript can boost readership numbers and save valuable time during the publication process. Below are some factors to consider during the journal selection process and three steps to make this complex process more manageable.

First and foremost, the paper needs to fit well with the scope of the journal and be well matched in terms of the journal’s prestige and readership base. Use a reasonable range of competitiveness (from conservative to aspirational) based on the significance of the findings, and think through who will be most likely to read the paper. Besides scope fit, impact, and intended audience, there are a whole host of other factors to consider, such as fees, open access policies, acceptance rates, and publication frequency.

Try the following three steps as a decision-support tool (feel free to modify the content below to best suit your needs). Doing so may not only lead to a better decision, but also impress your co-authors with your thoroughness.

1. 1. Develop a starter list of 5–10 potential journals.
      1. Run a keyword search in reference databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Take note of the journals that appear on the first two or three pages of results for both the newest papers and the most relevant papers.
      2. Review the reference list (if completed) or collection of papers that will be cited. Take note of any journals for papers that are foundational to your research. Whenever possible, it is a good practice to cite at least one paper from the target journal, which helps to demonstrate the good scope fit.
      3. Ask a co-author or mentor if they have suggestions.
      4. If you are a member of a scientific society that publishes a journal, consider adding that one to the starter list if it is not yet on it.
   2. Narrow down the list to the top three journals for further consideration.
      1. Collect comprehensive data on your top three choices (journal name, website link, Editor-in-Chief, journal impact factor, brief scope description, publication frequency, publication fees, open access options, turn-around times, acceptance rate, size restrictions, formatting-free submissions, years in existence). It may be helpful to organize these data in a table. Note that you may not be able to fill in all of the data points for some journals, as journals do not always make that information available online.
      2. If at any time you find that a journal being researched in depth is not suitable for your paper (paper greatly exceeds the size limit requirements, publication fees are too high), simply delete that choice and move on to another journal you identified in step 1.
   3. Rank the top three journals, and submit your paper to your top choice. If that journal rejects your paper, consider the next one down in this prioritized list as well as any others recommended by the journal editors.

Whenever possible, select the target journal before drafting the paper. That way the content can be geared toward the journal’s scope and formatted properly at the outset. Authors might also find it useful to explore online journal finders to support their decision-making.^[1]