Publishing is a huge part of being an academic. Getting your work out there for others to see, read, and base their own research on is often the first step to creating impact and influencing society. The current publishing environment is highly competitive and it can sometimes feel like there is an overwhelming amount of information out there, so we've broken the basics down for you here. If you can't find the answers you're looking for here, we are more than happy to help - simply get in touch.
For a quick overview of the publishing process, please watch this video.
Think of publishing as joining a conversation. If you want to contribute to the conversation it makes sense to publish where the conversation is taking place – hence looking at your references.
Thinking about who will be reading your article is key. If your research is in a niche topic, you should choose a niche journal. If it is on a more general topic, it is best to choose a journal with a wider scope.
Scopus Sources is a great tool to find a journal. You can search for a title or browse potential journals via the subject area filter. If you want to compare journals you can do so via the compare sources section once you're looking at the details for a journal. Here you can look at the journal metrics and the % of documents not cited in each of the journals.
Do not rely on journal impact factors alone when finding a suitable journal to publish in.
Some of your colleagues will have a lot of experience with publishing and will therefore know much about the various journals in the field.
Your subject librarian or the Research Support Team can help you find a good journal to publish in using several tools, resources and years of experience!
Please note that you should only submit your manuscript to one journal at a time.
This video summarises the process of finding suitable journals to submit to.
Except where otherwise noted, this work by University of Essex Library and Cultural Services is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
