Choosing the right journal
Choosing the right journal for your paper is all about targeting the right audience for your research – your readers. It is recommended that you always start here: with your readers, and what it is you want to write about. From here, you can then make a wise choice about where to find these readers, i.e. where to publish your paper. This screencast takes you through a basic, initial process of screening a prospective journal you may be considering for a paper you are writing. From considering how many journals to put onto your list, and where to start finding them, through clicking around an exemplar to find basic information to inform your choice, this video helps you begin the process. This video should be viewed after ‘Plotting a paper from your thesis’, and the supplementary materials will take the conversation further.
Who might find this useful?
This material is primarily for postgraduate and postdoctoral scholars, to assist them with the process of choosing a journal in which to publish their work. It could be effectively used as a lead in to a practical exercise, with the worksheet included, in a writing-for-publication workshop in which students could browse the Internet and create their own shortlist.
Explore these additional resources
Plotting a paper from your PhD (internal hyperlink within the site)
Blogposts:
- Choosing the right journal for your paper (http://wp.me/p3VNfn-ps)
- Predatory publishers: what to look for (http://wp.me/p3VNfn-on)
- Practices for getting published (https://patthomson.net/2015/01/12/writerly-readerly-and-strategic-some-tips-for-getting-published/)
- Creating a publishing plan: https://www.editage.com/insights/how-to-create-a-publication-schedule-and-why
Creating a shortlist (Worksheet link)
Questions for users:
- For supervisors/PG support staff: how do you find journals for the papers you write? What are your top tips for getting published? Share these with your students, and encourage them to watch this video.
- For students: Why do you want to publish your work? Think beyond doing it just because you have to: think about how you can build or add to knowledge and practice in your field. What can your voice (your research) add to the ‘conversation’? Start here, and create a plan for publishing that starts with your thesis, but looks forward to postdoctoral and future research. The blogs and other posts listed here may help with this. The worksheet can also be downloaded and used as a guide for creating your own journal shortlist.