Research Process

When you are ready to publish your research it is important to find the right place to do so. Finding the perfect publication for your research can be a time consuming task, but it is vital in order to get your research out to the scholars and readers who will most benefit from it.

There are several different factors to consider when selecting a publication for your research:

• What is the scope of the journal? Does your research fit in with the subject matter? Does the tone and length of your article match previously published articles?
• Are you submitting an article in response to a call for articles? If so, does your subject matter match the requirements in the call?
• If you are concerned about having your article cited by other scholars, do you know what the impact factor of the journal is?
• Do you want to publish your article in an open access journal or repository?

It is very important to learn about journals that you are interested in potentially publishing with. By researching journals early on, and finding those whose scope and subject matter match your topic well, you will have a much better chance of your article being accepted later.

A simple Google search on the title of the journal will usually bring up the journal home page. From there you can read about the journal and submission guidelines.

• For example, the Journal of Marketing describes their scope as thus: "Articles in Journal of Marketing concentrate on marketing needs and trends that demonstrate new techniques for solutions to marketing problems, review those trends and developments by reporting research, contribute generalizable and validated findings, and present new ideas, theories, and illustrations of marketing thought and practice."

The journal and submission guidelines should give you, the author, a very clear idea of the types of articles this journal is looking for and the types of articles that are likely to be accepted for publication.

The following resources may also assist with identifying potential journals and locating their scope:

Predatory journals and publishers are defined by Nature as

entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.

Essentially, they exist primarily to profit off of employer requirements for scholars to publish.

Many are open-access publications and do not provide peer reviews, editing services, or publishing help for the authors. They also may not offer quality control, indexing, or licensing, which is routine for legitimate publishers. Often they will accept any article submitted and prevent you from publishing that content in a reputable journal.  

Additional characteristics of predatory journals include:

• Low article processing charges (APCs)
• Small or nonexistent editorial board
• Single publisher with hundreds of titles
• Issues published late or never
• Poor quality website
• Bogus national or international affiliation
• Excessive errors in published content
• Uses Index Copernicus Value as index factor
• Promises quick turnaround and publication
• Lack of clarity around copyright, preservation, and publishing process
• Have titles that are very similar to those of established, non-predatory journals

The following resources may be used to determine if a particular journal or publisher is predatory:

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