Oxford LibGuides: Getting published: Choosing a journal

Choosing a journal

It is important to choose which journal you publish in carefully to maximize dissemination, visibility and citations to your research.

Things to consider when looking for a publisher?

Think-Check-Submit
Not all publishers are bona fide. Use "Think-Check-Submit" for guidance on issues to consider.

What journals are in my subject and how to avoid predatory journals?

To find journals in a new subject area or seek alternatives to known journals, search a database such as Scopus or Web of Science for articles on your topic, and filter the results by journal title. (Access databases via SOLO)

Avoiding predatory journals
Publons' January 2017 blogpost discusses the issues and includes their guide to evaluating publishers.

Some suggested sources for checking a journal's credentials:

UlrichsWeb (Global list of journals and serial publications)
Is it a peer reviewed scholarly journal, or a trade magazine?
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
If the journal is open access, is it listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)?
Open Access Scholarly Publishers’ Association (OASPA)
If the journal is Open Access, does the publisher belong to the Open Access Scholarly Publishers’ Association (OASPA)?

Contacts

Open Access Helpdesk
openaccess@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Research Data helpline
researchdata@ox.ac.uk

ORA Team
ora@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Symplectic Elements team
symplectic@admin.ox.ac.uk