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Publishing Journal Articles: Factors you may consider

Depending on our research topic, preference, and our unique situations, there are a variety of factors we may need to consider while making a selection on where to publish.  These are the common ones authors tend to consider during this process:

  • Audience: Consider the predominant message of the article you are intending to write, whom you are writing for, and who would be interested in reading or using the information in your article?
  • Journal's scope & purpose: Consider the kind of articles a journal publishes.  What are the aims of the journal? What are the subject areas it covers?
  • Journal's performance: How is the journal ranked in a discipline? What's the journal's impact
  • Reviewing process: Is it a peer-reviewed journal?  If so, how is an article reviewed? Is it double-blind, single-blind, or open review? Wiley has an extensive guide on different types of peer-review, including a list of pros & cons of different peer-review types.
  • Publishing cycle: How long does it take for an article to get published? How frequently does the journal publish?
  • Acceptance rate: How difficult is it for a manuscript to be accepted for publishing?
  • Visibility & findability: Is the journal selected in important or widely used databases in your discipline? Is the journal open-access or offer open-access as an option for authors?
  • Cost: How much does it charge for publishing?