Selection of a scientific journal for publication is one of the most important steps on the way to successful indexing of an article in a scientometric database. What criteria should be paid attention to first of all when choosing a publication? We will tell you in this article.
Today, the scientific database Scopus indexes more than 28 thousand titles of publications that publish millions of articles annually. Another equally large-scale platform, Web of Science, includes more than 21 thousand peer-reviewed journals. How not to get lost in such a variety and choose the right scientific edition for publishing your research? Scientific Publications has prepared a navigation on how to choose a journal for your new research paper.
The main criteria for selecting a journal to publish a scientific article
Thematic focus of the journal
You should start your search for a publication to publish your article with the key criterion - scientific focus. It is important that the publication corresponds to your research topic, scientific goal, and reaches your target audience.
Check the list of journals that may be relevant to your topic by searching the Scopus database through the "Sources" section or the Master Journal List resource in Web of Science. You can search for journals by keyword or the title of your article for the most relevant display of results.
To be sure that the publication is appropriate for your research goals, review articles published in previous issues of the journal. This is a great way to ensure that your research topic is of interest to the readers of a particular journal.
Scientific metrics of the publication
The next important factor is citation indices. The main metrics that should be focused on when searching for a journal:
- Impact Factor
An indicator reflecting the level of citation of articles published in a scientific journal. The impact factor is calculated annually and published in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) database, which is part of Web of Science. Journals with a high impact factor are considered more prestigious for publication, but at the same time it is extremely difficult to place an article in them due to high competition among authors. IF is often used as a measure of a scholar's productivity and publication influence, and is taken into account by universities, research and fundingorganizations when allocating academic positions and grants.
- CiteScore
This metric is similar to the impact factor and is designed for the same purpose - to assess the citation of scientific journals. CiteScore takes into account articles published in the last four years, while impact factor takes into account only two years. CiteScore helps scientists assess the long-term impact of journals and identify the most cited journals. The indicator can be found in the Scopus database.
- SJR
A unique metric that assesses the impact of scientific journals by taking into account not only the number of citations, but also their quality. This index was developed using data from the Scopus scientometric database and provides a more weighted assessment of a journal's citations than the traditional impact factor or CiteScore.
- SNIP
This metric most accurately reflects the impact of a scholarly journal, as it takes into account the specialization of the publication and its subject area. SNIP takes into account the differences in citation rates between different scientific fields, which makes it a fairer indicator when comparing journals from different fields. SNIP is particularly useful when searching for a journal specializing in an interdisciplinary field.
The peer review process
Another important point to pay attention to. Carefully read the information on the publication's website in the section devoted to peer review. Scientific journals differ in terms of the review period, the specifics of the procedure, the type of review (unilateral, bilateral, open) and the number of experts involved in the evaluation of scientific papers.
Business model/publication fees
There are three main business models that scholarly journals use to operate and fund publications:
- Traditional
- Open Access
- Hybrid.
Journals with a traditional business model are funded by subscriptions from readers or scientific organizations. Open Access means that all articles in the publication are available to all readers for free without the need for a subscription. Journals that follow a hybrid model give authors the flexibility to choose whether to publish an open access article for a fee or free of charge for the subscription model.
The websites of journals with an open access model have sections on publication fees and their amounts. The fee for placing an article depends on many factors, including its rating, demand, and review procedure in the journal. Editorial fees can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the prestige of the journal.
There are a number of open access publications that do not have Article Processing Charges (APC), which are fees that scientific journals charge authors or their organizations for publishing an article. When submitting to such journals, you should consider the publication deadlines. Sometimes the queue for the placement of research in such journals can be scheduled for months or even years in advance.
To summarize, when choosing a journal for publication, you should consider the main criteria: the scientific focus of the journal, its scientific metrics, peer review procedure, business model, and publication fees. If you have difficulties in choosing an appropriate publication and need advice about publishing in Scopus or Web of Science, fill out the form below and our manager will contact you within a business day. We know everything about the publication process in international scientometric databases and are ready to help you realize your goal!
