Selecting a Journal for your publication
This three-part series of videos looks at a number of crucial issues to take into account when selecting the journal for your academic publication. The first video looks at where the pressure to publish comes from. It argues that this pressure can lead us to think that the end goal is ‘getting published’. This then has negative consequences for quality and collaboration. The video argues that we should rather be thinking about publishing as joining a conversation and making a contribution to knowledge. In the second video, key issues that an author needs to take into account when selecting a journal are considered. From readership, to citation indices and more, the video outlines a number of concerns; in particular, this video engages with the debates around open access publishing and spells out what ‘counts’ as an accredited journal article for subsidy purposes. The final video reflects on the rise of predatory publications. The video spells out how we can spot predatory publications but also reminds the viewer that if we focus on contributing knowledge within an existing conversation in the field, we are less likely to be caught in such scams.
Who might find this useful?
These three videos will be of use to postgraduate scholars and supervisors and to any academics embarking on publication. It can be viewed independently or could be used within a workshop or short course on academic publishing.
Explore these additional resources
- “Why developing countries are particularly vulnerable to predatory journals” This article argues that a focus on ‘getting published’ makes us vulnerable to predatory publications
- Directory of Open Access Journals: This site uses a set of indicators to determine which open access journals meet academic quality norms: https://doaj.org
- “Geographies of the World’s Knowledge” Flick et al (2011) Convoco This study is presented with a number of useful graphics to trace access to information across the planet.
- “Predatory Publishing in South Africa: Scale and Challenges” Mouton, J (2016) This presentation outlines the scope of predatory publications within South African universities
- GUIDE: How to spot predatory academic journals in the wild: Africa Check Researched by Sarah Wild. 17 October 2017 https://africacheck.org/factsheets/guide-how-to-spot-predatory-academic-journals-in-the-wild/
- Think! Check! Submit! This website offers some useful questions to ask yourself so that you avoid getting caught by predatory publishers. http://thinkchecksubmit.org
- Citation Indices. Many publishing houses and other organisations run citation indices which look at how often articles from a particular journal are cited. Each journal’s web page will also refer to such indices to demonstrate their ‘impact’. The index used in Part 2 is the Scimago Journal and Country rank which is based on Scopus: http://www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php