Research Guides: Where to Publish: A Guide for Faculty: Think: Questions to Ask Yourself

Choosing a Journal

Journal Publishers : Think. Check. Submit. Checklist
Use this checklist from Think. Check. Submit. to help you discover what you need to know when assessing whether or not a journal is a suitable place to publish your research.

Questions to consider:

Does the subject matter of the journal match your scholarship? Do the types of articles and their length guidelines match your submission? Journal suggestion tools can help you narrow down your choices.
Have you cited the journal in your own work?
Does the journal have an ISSN, and do articles have DOIs?
Are articles peer-reviewed?
What is the journal's acceptance rate?
Are you and your colleagues familiar with the journal? Look at its affiliation and publisher, its editorial board and the authors who publish in it. If it is a journal of a professional organization, have you heard of the organization? Do you recognize the names of editors, authors, or reviewers listed on the journal website?
What databases do you search when you need professional information? Is the publication indexed in a service or database that you use?
Who is the audience and what is the readership of the journal? Will your colleagues see your work?
What are the copyright implications? Are you allowed to re-use your own work, post it to an institutional repository, or share it on social media or sites like Research Gate?
Are there options for open access? If so, what are the associated article processing charges (APCs)?
What restrictions does the journal’s license agreement have? For example, are you allowed to deposit a pre- or post-print copy of your publication in an Institutional Repository (IR)?
How does the reputation of the journal compare with others in your field? Check the journal's research impact metrics .
Does the journal show characteristics of predatory publishing, such as guaranteed acceptance, very short turn-around times (days to weeks), unusually low article processing charges (APCs), or a publication name that is very close to an existing well-known journal? Do they promote the journals Index Copernicus Value (a bogus impact metric)?

Choosing a Book Publisher

Book & Book Chapter Publishers : Think. Check. Submit. Checklist
Use this checklist from Think. Check. Submit. to help you discover if a publisher of books (or book chapters) is appropriate for sharing your research.
Finding a Publisher (Association of University Presses)
"A first step in finding a publisher for your scholarly monograph or other book is learning which scholarly presses publish in your field of research. So our first recommendation is always to browse your own citations, and start researching the publishers you see there. Also, if there are specific books and authors that you believe are comparable or similar to your manuscript, check to see if specific editors are thanked in their acknowledgments."
This page also includes links to a number of AUPresses tools and resources to help you get a better sense of which publishers might be a good fit.

Choosing a Place to Present (Conferences and Meetings)

Conference Presentations: Think. Check. Attend. Checklist for Researchers
Think. Check. Attend. is an initiative that guides researchers and scholars who are deciding whether to attend or submit an abstract and present their research at a conference. The checklist helps you avoid participating in or supporting predatory or low-quality conferences or events.

Sometimes presenting at a conference is a more appropriate way to share your work. Consider the following when deciding on where to present your work:

Find out where colleagues and active researchers in your field are presenting.
Look at conferences put on by societies/associations in your field.
Don't forget campus and local/regional conferences in your field.
Make sure the host organization is authentic (not predatory) using the Think. Check. Attend. checklist as a guide.