Resources for Authors: Where to Publish

Impact factor is a measure of how often articles in a journal are cited in other publications. A journal's impact factor can often be found on the journal's website.

The term "predatory journal" usually refers to a journal which charges fees to publish but does not engage in peer review. These journals may present fake or misleading metrics to seem legitimate. 

Deciding where to publish can be challenging. Where you choose to publish can affect the impact of your research.

Start by looking at:

• Where are similar articles to yours being published? (Do a search for articles in the library's databases and see where these articles are being published.) 
• Which journals do you read? Which do your colleagues read?
• Who publishes your colleagues' work? 
• Who do you cite in your own work?

When considering a submitting to a journal:

• Are the articles published of high quality?
• Does your research fit the journal's scope?
• Is the journal searchable in databases?
• What is the reputation of the journal? What is the journal's impact factor?
• If your team is committed to making your work available through open access, how much is the article processing charge (APC) and what money might be found to cover the fee?

Think. Check. Submit. is a campaign focused on empowering authors to check the trustworthiness of a journal or publisher. Utilizing the checklist helps researchers spot trusted journals and publishers for their research. 

A preprint is a completed research paper that has been submitted to a journal but has not yet been through the entire publication process - it may have been reviewed but not typeset, or it may not yet have been reviewed. A preprint allows you to share research with colleagues prior to officially being published (the review process can take many months). Preprints are given a digital object identifier (DOI) so they can be cited in other research papers. A preprint can be shared on social media or via email, and can be posted on the author's website, a university repository, or a public server such as those listed below.