How do you select the best place to publish your research?

1 Scope and quality

The first thing to check is whether the publication aligns with the scope and quality of your research. You want to find a journal or platform that covers your topic, discipline, and methodology, and that has a rigorous peer-review and editorial process. You can use databases, directories, and search engines to browse and compare publications in your field, and look at their aims, scope, and editorial policies. You can also ask your colleagues, mentors, or peers for recommendations and feedback.

2 Audience and impact

The next thing to consider is who you want to reach with your research, and what impact you want to have. You want to find a publication that has a relevant and engaged audience, and that can help you increase your visibility and citations. You can use metrics, such as the journal impact factor, the article-level metrics, and the altmetrics, to measure and compare the reach and influence of different publications. You can also look at the readership, distribution, and promotion strategies of the publications, and how they match your target audience.

3 Cost and speed

The final thing to weigh is how much time and money you are willing to invest in the publishing process. You want to find a publication that offers a fair and transparent fee structure, and that can handle your submission efficiently and professionally. You can use indicators, such as the article processing charge, the open access policy, and the acceptance rate, to assess and compare the costs and benefits of different publications. You can also look at the submission, review, and publication timelines of the publications, and how they fit your schedule and deadlines.

4 Checklist and tools

To help you select the best place to publish your research, you can use a checklist and some tools to evaluate and compare your options. For instance, Think.Check.Submit. checklist can help organize your criteria and priorities, while Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE) tool and JournalGuide tool can assist in finding and filtering publications based on keywords, abstracts, or references. Moreover, these tools can provide useful information and metrics.

5 Tips and best practices

If you want to increase your chances of finding and getting published in the right place, there are some tips and best practices you can follow. Start exploring your options as soon as you have a clear research question and outline. Have a list of potential publications that meet your criteria and expectations, and rank them by preference and suitability. Aim for a publication that matches the quality and impact of your research, and that has a reasonable acceptance rate and timeline. Additionally, don't submit your research to more than one publication at a time, or to a publication that has a conflict of interest or a questionable reputation. Make sure to follow the publication's guidelines and standards, and respect the copyright and authorship rules.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?