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How to Choose a Journal to Submit an Article

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After so much effort bringing together the perfect article, finding the best scientific journal to submit it to becomes the next big challenge. Which one will bring the deserved awareness to your research? Which one will enhance the visibility of your work? Which one is the benchmark in your investigation field? Choosing the right journal for publication might end up being more complicated than you think.

Article publishing. Why is it important?

The saying “publish or perish” might sound familiar to you – since a researcher’s recognition and career often depend on article publishing. But that doesn’t mean diving into the first chance that comes along. From aims to scope, values and ethical practice, there are many things to take into account before choosing a journal to submit an article. If you’re submitting a paper instead of an article, it is equally important to find the right journal for your paper .

Choosing a Journal for Publication

Elsevier offers a wide range of distinguished journals, and choosing the best one to publish your research paper is much easier with our support and guidance. Using the JournalFinder , you can match your manuscript and learn more about each journal available. Powered by the Elsevier Fingerprint Engine™, JournalFinder uses smart search technology and field-of-research specific vocabularies to match your paper to the most appropriate scientific journals in a few simple steps:

1) Enter the title and abstract of your paper

2) Find journals that are best suited for your publication

3) Ultimately, the editor will decide on how well your article matches the journal

To Find Out More About a Journal

In article publishing, choosing a journal for publication is a strategically important step to give your work the opportunity to shine and attract the attention of the right people. Thus, it is not a decision to make without spending some time researching the best available publications out there. Make sure to follow these tips to get even closer to the perfect journal for you:

• Read the journal’s aims and scope to make sure it is a match.
• Check whether you can submit an article – some journals are invitation-only.
• CiteScore metrics – helps to measure journal citation impact. Free, comprehensive, transparent and current metrics calculated using data from Scopus®, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature.
• SJR – or SCImago Journal Rank, is based on the concept of a transfer of prestige between journals via their citation links.
• SNIP – or Source Normalized Impact per Paper, is a sophisticated metric that accounts for field-specific differences in citation practices.
• JIF – or Journal Impact Factor is calculated by Clarivate Analytics as the average of the sum of the citations received in a given year to a journal’s previous two years of publications, divided by the sum of “citable” publications in the previous two years.
• H-index – Although originally conceived as an author-level metric, the H-index has been being applied to higher-order aggregations of research publications, including journals.
• Impact: Number of times an average paper in this journal is cited.
• Speed: The average number of weeks it takes for an article to be reviewed. Essentially, the average number of weeks it takes for an article to reach key publication points in the production process.
• Reach: The number of downloads at the country/regional level over the last five full years available. The number of primary corresponding authors at the country/regional level, over the last five full years available.

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The Complete Guide to Publishing Research Papers

If you are a scientist with an idea for a research paper, there’s one thing you need to know – how to publish your research. It’s not a secret that research papers don’t always get the recognition they deserve. That doesn’t mean you should stop publishing them though, because it might just be your ticket to getting published in respected journals in the future.

Getting a paper published is actually easier than you might think. There are many outlets available that accept and publish research papers, from online journals to obscure little magazines. But, if you want to understand the process of publishing research papers in order to get your foot in the door with other publications, here’s a guide to help you understand the process and how to prepare for an impactful research paper.

What is an Academic Research Paper?

Academic research papers are highly structured, formal academic assignments. They usually focus on an academic field or briefly explore a concept. The importance of these assignments is that you need to present your thoughts, findings, and conclusions in the most effective way possible. In other words, the academic research paper is a written document outlining the thesis and methods of study, followed by a discussion of the findings. The purpose of an academic research paper is to share your thoughts with other academics rather than as an introduction for potential readers.

The outline for an academic research paper should be very specific and detailed in order to establish the most relevant points from which you can develop your argument and make your case. The structure of your paper is extremely important because it provides the foundation for everything else that follows in the body of your work. Both the exact structure as well as the general strategy of your paper need to be clearly outlined and understood.

Types of Research Papers

There are many different types of academic research papers. Some common types are literature reviews, journal articles, book reviews, and reports. There are also many variations within these categories, such as qualitative and quantitative research methods and experimental and theoretical approaches. There are many different ways to go about researching a particular topic, so one should consider the method of research that will work best for them as well as their own personal style.

How to Write an Academic Research Paper?

To write an academic research paper is to understand the process. The first step is to pick a topic you are passionate about and provide enough material for a paper.

Next, you need to do your research. This includes talking to people who have expertise on the topic, reading many different materials, conducting interviews with experts, finding relevant literature from the library, and performing in-depth analysis of your findings. Lastly, find an academic journal that is willing to publish your work. Here’s a more detailed guide for writing a research paper

How to Format your Academic Research Paper?

Academic research papers must have an introduction and conclusion. The introduction should state the paper’s purpose and define what the paper is about. It should also include a discussion of how you will use your sources to reach your goal. The conclusion should sum up your thoughts on the topic while offering some advice or reflection on the work done in the paper. Once your reader understands your topic, they can decide if they want to continue reading.

What Defines a Research Paper Publisher?

Academic research paper publishers are companies that help academic researchers publish their work. These companies review, edit, and submit an article to the appropriate journal. These companies charge a fee for their services. Academic research paper publishers have been around for a long time but have recently grown in popularity because of the rising cost of publishing academic articles themselves.

Difference between Scientific Journals and Academic Research Publishers

Journals provide the publishing outlet for academic research papers. Journals are scholarly publications that are made specifically to release information on any subject. It is a periodical that focuses on a specific topic. The journal’s focus may be a particular subject, or it may be geographic. Some journals are monthly, weekly or quarterly, and some are published once only. Check out the Top 10 Scientific Journals

A growing number of publishing companies help academics publish journals and other academic papers. Publishing companies act as a middleman between the researcher and the journal, using their publication expertise to offer high-quality academic research papers for sale. Some companies might also provide editing services to help ensure the paper is in tip-top shape before it gets published.

The number of pages can differentiate publishing companies and journals. Publishing companies publish books, articles, or journal issues, while journals have between 10-20 pages of content and are therefore easier to read.

There are also a number of publishing companies that have journals in which they publish papers. Journals publish papers that are peer reviewed and provide a platform for students, academics, and researchers to share their findings with the world. These journals allow authors to have anonymity if they wish and give them the opportunity to choose when and where their work is published.

What are the Benefits of Publishing your Research Papers in Academic Journals?

Typically, publishing your research papers in academic journals is a great way to get it out into the public. You are also able to see where your article is being read and what kind of feedback you are receiving. Some companies pay for articles to be published and some will only charge a small publishing fee. Regardless, this is a good option for anyone looking to publish their research papers.

These journals have rigorous reviewers who will help you improve your work. They also monitor the number of citations your article receives, which shows how well the scientific community accepts it. In addition to these benefits, there are companies that assist in publishing your research paper. Some of these companies include ScholarOne, Researchgate, and PeerJ.

One benefit of publishing your research in academic journals is that it helps to improve your reputation as an expert. This can help you get better-paying jobs and allow you to gain more credibility with people who might be interested in what you have to offer. The other benefit is that the journals are a great source of information for advancement opportunities. Many universities will use these journals to find the best researchers in their field and help them advance their careers.

Academic research paper publishers can grant authors publishing rights. This is a service that academic journals often provide to the authors of their articles, but they don’t have time to do it themselves. Academic research paper publishers also offer a variety of services and tools for the author such as editing, design, layout, submission, and marketing. In general, academic researchers can save more time by using an academic research paper publisher.

Disadvantages of Publishing with Academic Research Paper Publishers

First of all, many publishers don’t have editors or reviewers for the papers that they publish. This could lead to plagiarism, which is when a writer uses another writer’s words without giving credit.

In addition, academic research paper publishers often charge a lot of money for their services, which can be prohibitive for some researchers who need paper copies and/or distribution. Even if a researcher doesn’t have to pay for it themselves, they may still need to pay an editor or publisher. The journal or publisher may also charge extra for the use of any company or product brand.

Another disadvantage is that the author will typically not get paid for their work when published by an academic research paper. Another drawback is that it can take a long time to publish and manage these scholarly works, making the process seem unnecessary and too drawn out.

The most significant disadvantage is the lack of control over the publication process and quality.

What to Look for in an Academic Publisher?

Academic researchers have to answer a lot of questions before they can publish their work in a journal. If the researcher is unsure on how to do this, they should look into academic publishers that will help them out.

The first thing to consider is the type of paper the researcher wants to publish. This can be done by reading the publication policy or contacting the publisher.

Another thing to consider is if the price of publishing with the company is worth it. A company that charges too much may not be worth it because it will take away from funds that could be spent on research equipment or students who are conducting research with the researcher’s expertise.

Top Academic Research Paper Publishers

Online publishing has been an invaluable resource for scholars. By using the internet to publish their research, they can reach a wider audience of non-traditional audiences and build upon their findings and improve their research methods. This article outlines 9 exemplary publishers in the academic world that focus on delivering quality work to their customers.

1. Sage Publications

Sage Publications is a top academic research paper publisher, and it offers a variety of different services for publishing your research. You can find articles from Sage in refereed journals and magazines, such as the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, The International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, Advances in Computer Games Research, and the journal Society & Organization Review. All submissions are peer-reviewed, meaning that the company is able to offer rigorous quality control.

2. Taylor & Francis

Taylor produces high-quality academic paper draft services. With a team of experts, they produce customized papers that meet the guidelines of your specific assignment.

3. Elsevier Science

Elsevier Science is a top academic publisher that publishes thousands of scientific research papers. They also have a number of other services such as online databases, journals and books. Elsevier Science has a total of 25,000 publications with an annual revenue of $4.1 billion.

4. Nature Publishing Group

Nature Publishing Group is a company that publishes scientific research in journals, magazines, and books. They have been producing high-quality peer-reviewed academic journals for over 40 years.

5. Springer Nature

Springer Nature is a top academic publishing company with headquarters in London, England. It was founded in 1880 and has been publishing scientific research papers for over 100 years. The company publishes more than 2,000 journals and newsletters. Springer Nature also owns many other companies including Springer Science+Business Media, Springer Consultants, and Springer OpenText.

6. Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing Limited is a UK-based company that helps academic researchers with the publishing process. It provides a platform for authors that allows them to publish their work in more than 300 academic journals and access more than 250,000 potential readers/reviewers.

7. American Psychological Association and American Sociological Association

The APA and ASA are two of the most important academic publishers. These two publishers have been around since the early 1900s and serve as a great source for hundreds of academic papers.

How Much does it Cost to Publish an Article with Top Academic Publishers?

There are a number of companies that can help you publish articles with academic publishers. Some companies charge a flat rate to publish your work, while others charge by the article. Some companies advertise their service as “free” because they don’t expect you to pay anything upfront and then take anywhere from 22-75 percent of the profits when your article is sold.

Other companies charge different rates depending on what type of publication you’re looking to get published. For example, if you’re looking to publish in a national magazine or newspaper, the cost will be higher than if you’re looking to publish in a journal that has a smaller circulation.

Many academic research papers are published by top academic publishers, such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Nature. These journals require that authors pay a publication fee to submit their article, depending on what format they wish to have it published. For example, a paper published in grey-scale (black & white) will be $1,500 and color (full color) will be $2,000. Additionally, these journals often require authors to pay for editing services and retractions when mistakes occur.

No matter which type of publishing service you’re looking for, get your articles edited by someone who has experience in what you want to do. If the company or editor has no experience with the type of subject you’re writing about, they may not know how to write it properly or format it properly. You will also want to ask if they have an online proofreading tool. Websites such as Readable or Wordcrafter can help you proofread and edit any type of document online.

Don’t just go look up all the writing services in your area and pick the one with the lowest prices. You have to compare prices, but the quality is what you want to find. You can hire anyone’s services for a month, but even if they’re inexpensive, it may not be worth it in the end. It’s better to use a company that will give you more than what you pay for. If they don’t live up to your standards, you can always switch to another company.

Tips for Getting Published in a Research Journal

There are a lot of research journals that can be found on different websites. To get your work published, you will need to find the journal that best suits your needs and submit an application for publication. You can also reach out to individual publishers who specialize in academic publishing or even ask your professor if they have any recommendations.

They make sure that the work is of high quality and will put it into a format that the journal will accept. More importantly, they can give advice on the best way to present the research without compromising scientific integrity.

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How to get published.

You believe your research will make a contribution to your field, and you’re ready to share it with your peers far and wide, but how do you go about getting it published, and what exactly does that involve?  

If this is you, this page is a great place to start. Here you’ll find guidance to taking those first steps towards publication with confidence. From what to consider when choosing a journal, to how to submit an article and what happens next. 

Getting started

Choosing the right journal for you.

Submitting your article to a Sage journal

Promoting your article

Related resources you may find useful.

How to Get Your Journal Article Published guide

Our handy guide is a quick overview covering the publishing process from preparing your article and choosing a journal, to publication (5 minute read).

View the How to Get Your Journal Article Published guide

How to Get Published webinars

Free 1 hour monthly How to Get Published webinars cover topics including writing an article, navigating the peer review process, and what exactly it means when you hear “open access.” Join fellow researchers and expert speakers live, or watch our library of recordings on a variety of topics.

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Sage Perspectives blog

Looking for tips on how to make sure your article goes smoothly through the peer review process, or how to write the right title for your article?

Read our blog

Sage Campus courses

Want something a bit more in-depth? Sage Campus courses are short and interactive (around 2 hours each) and cover a range of skills, including how to get published. Your library may already subscribe to the modules, or you may want to recommend that they do. Meanwhile, you can utilize the free modules.

Explore Sage Campus

Each journal has its own Aims & Scope, so the acceptance of articles is not just about quality, but also about being a good fit. Does your work reflect the scope of the Journal? Is Open Access important to you, and does the Journal have an Open Access model available? What is the readership of the Journal, and is that readership the right audience for your work? Researching the best match for your manuscript will significantly improve your chances of being accepted.

Watch our 2 minute video

If you already know in which Sage journal you’d like to publish your work, search for it and check the manuscript submission guidelines to make sure it is a good match. Or use the Sage Journal Recommender to tell us your article title and subjects and see which journals are a potential home for your manuscript. Be prepared to adjust your manuscript to match the scope and style of the desired journal.

Find journals with the Sage Journal Recommender  or  browse all Sage journals

Professional presentation of your work includes a precise and clear writing style, avoiding accidental plagiarism, and formatting your article to meet the criteria of your chosen journal. All of these take time and may not be skills inherent to your field of research. Sage Author Services can help you to prepare your manuscript to comply with these and other related standards, which could significantly improve your chance of acceptance. 

Visit  Sage Author Services

Submitting your article to a Sage journal

You’ve identified the right journal; now you need to make sure your manuscript is the perfect fit. Following the author guidelines can be the difference between possible acceptance and rejection, so it’s definitely worth following the required guidelines. We’ve a selection of resources and guides to help:

Watch How to Get Published: Submitting Your Paper (2 minute video)

Read our Article Submission infographic , a quick reminder of essentials

Here you’ll find chapter and verse on all aspects of our Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Ready to submit? Our online Submission Checklist will help you do a final check before sending your article to us.

Each journal retains editorial independence, which means their Guidelines will vary, so do go to the home page of your chosen journal to check anything you should be aware of. You can submit your article there too.

The academic world is crowded, how can you make your article stand out? If you are active on social media platforms, telling your followers about your article is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do.

Between us, we can improve the chances of your article being found, read, downloaded and cited – of your article and you making an impact. Our tips and guidance will show you how to promote your article alongside building your academic profile.

Read our  tips on how to maximize your impact

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How to Write and Publish Your Research in a Journal

Last Updated: February 26, 2024 Fact Checked

Choosing a Journal

Writing the research paper, editing & revising your paper, submitting your paper, navigating the peer review process, research paper help.

This article was co-authored by Matthew Snipp, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Cheyenne Main . C. Matthew Snipp is the Burnet C. and Mildred Finley Wohlford Professor of Humanities and Sciences in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University. He is also the Director for the Institute for Research in the Social Science’s Secure Data Center. He has been a Research Fellow at the U.S. Bureau of the Census and a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He has published 3 books and over 70 articles and book chapters on demography, economic development, poverty and unemployment. He is also currently serving on the National Institute of Child Health and Development’s Population Science Subcommittee. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 697,206 times.

Publishing a research paper in a peer-reviewed journal allows you to network with other scholars, get your name and work into circulation, and further refine your ideas and research. Before submitting your paper, make sure it reflects all the work you’ve done and have several people read over it and make comments. Keep reading to learn how you can choose a journal, prepare your work for publication, submit it, and revise it after you get a response back.

Things You Should Know

• Create a list of journals you’d like to publish your work in and choose one that best aligns with your topic and your desired audience.
• Prepare your manuscript using the journal’s requirements and ask at least 2 professors or supervisors to review your paper.
• Write a cover letter that “sells” your manuscript, says how your research adds to your field and explains why you chose the specific journal you’re submitting to.

• Ask your professors or supervisors for well-respected journals that they’ve had good experiences publishing with and that they read regularly.
• Many journals also only accept specific formats, so by choosing a journal before you start, you can write your article to their specifications and increase your chances of being accepted.
• If you’ve already written a paper you’d like to publish, consider whether your research directly relates to a hot topic or area of research in the journals you’re looking into.

• Review the journal’s peer review policies and submission process to see if you’re comfortable creating or adjusting your work according to their standards.
• Open-access journals can increase your readership because anyone can access them.

• Scientific research papers: Instead of a “thesis,” you might write a “research objective” instead. This is where you state the purpose of your research.
• “This paper explores how George Washington’s experiences as a young officer may have shaped his views during difficult circumstances as a commanding officer.”
• “This paper contends that George Washington’s experiences as a young officer on the 1750s Pennsylvania frontier directly impacted his relationship with his Continental Army troops during the harsh winter at Valley Forge.”

• Scientific research papers: Include a “materials and methods” section with the step-by-step process you followed and the materials you used. [5] X Research source
• Read other research papers in your field to see how they’re written. Their format, writing style, subject matter, and vocabulary can help guide your own paper. [6] X Research source

• If you’re writing about George Washington’s experiences as a young officer, you might emphasize how this research changes our perspective of the first president of the U.S.
• Link this section to your thesis or research objective.
• If you’re writing a paper about ADHD, you might discuss other applications for your research.

• Scientific research papers: You might include your research and/or analytical methods, your main findings or results, and the significance or implications of your research.
• Try to get as many people as you can to read over your abstract and provide feedback before you submit your paper to a journal.

• They might also provide templates to help you structure your manuscript according to their specific guidelines. [11] X Research source

• Not all journal reviewers will be experts on your specific topic, so a non-expert “outsider’s perspective” can be valuable.

• If you have a paper on the purification of wastewater with fungi, you might use both the words “fungi” and “mushrooms.”
• Use software like iThenticate, Turnitin, or PlagScan to check for similarities between the submitted article and published material available online. [15] X Research source

• Header: Address the editor who will be reviewing your manuscript by their name, include the date of submission, and the journal you are submitting to.
• First paragraph: Include the title of your manuscript, the type of paper it is (like review, research, or case study), and the research question you wanted to answer and why.
• Second paragraph: Explain what was done in your research, your main findings, and why they are significant to your field.
• Third paragraph: Explain why the journal’s readers would be interested in your work and why your results are important to your field.
• Conclusion: State the author(s) and any journal requirements that your work complies with (like ethical standards”).
• “We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal.”
• “All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to [insert the name of the target journal].”

• Submit your article to only one journal at a time.
• When submitting online, use your university email account. This connects you with a scholarly institution, which can add credibility to your work.

• Accept: Only minor adjustments are needed, based on the provided feedback by the reviewers. A first submission will rarely be accepted without any changes needed.
• Revise and Resubmit: Changes are needed before publication can be considered, but the journal is still very interested in your work.
• Reject and Resubmit: Extensive revisions are needed. Your work may not be acceptable for this journal, but they might also accept it if significant changes are made.
• Reject: The paper isn’t and won’t be suitable for this publication, but that doesn’t mean it might not work for another journal.

• Try organizing the reviewer comments by how easy it is to address them. That way, you can break your revisions down into more manageable parts.
• If you disagree with a comment made by a reviewer, try to provide an evidence-based explanation when you resubmit your paper.

• If you’re resubmitting your paper to the same journal, include a point-by-point response paper that talks about how you addressed all of the reviewers’ comments in your revision. [22] X Research source
• If you’re not sure which journal to submit to next, you might be able to ask the journal editor which publications they recommend.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• If reviewers suspect that your submitted manuscript plagiarizes another work, they may refer to a Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowchart to see how to move forward. [23] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• ↑ https://www.wiley.com/en-us/network/publishing/research-publishing/choosing-a-journal/6-steps-to-choosing-the-right-journal-for-your-research-infographic
• ↑ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13187-020-01751-z
• ↑ https://libguides.unomaha.edu/c.php?g=100510&p=651627
• ↑ http://www.canberra.edu.au/library/start-your-research/research_help/publishing-research
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/conclusions
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/writing-an-abstract-for-your-research-paper/
• ↑ https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/book-authors-editors/your-publication-journey/manuscript-preparation
• ↑ https://apus.libanswers.com/writing/faq/2391
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/keyword/search-strategy
• ↑ https://ifis.libguides.com/journal-publishing-guide/submitting-your-paper
• ↑ https://www.springer.com/kr/authors-editors/authorandreviewertutorials/submitting-to-a-journal-and-peer-review/cover-letters/10285574
• ↑ http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep02/publish.aspx
• ↑ Matthew Snipp, PhD. Research Fellow, U.S. Bureau of the Census. Expert Interview. 26 March 2020.

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Selecting a Journal for Publication: Criteria to Consider

Introduction.

Digital technologies and new publishing models such as Open Access coupled with the democratization of publishing worldwide has transformed the traditional print journal model for communication and dissemination of knowledge. In spite of the vast array of publishing opportunities in today’s digital world that allow authors to reach a wider audience, authors face an unprecedented challenge when selecting a journal to publish their research. There are now over 80,000 academic, peer-reviewed English language journals currently active as of July 2019 and 30,000 of these journals are classified under Medicine and Health. 1

In light of the proliferation of journals, some journals have come under increased scrutiny recently with terms such as questionable, predatory, pseudo, deceptive, unscrupulous, illegitimate, or dishonest, used to describe these journals. 2 – 3 Per Cobey, 4 et al., there is no standardized definition of questionable journals but the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) offers a description: “These journals (predatory or pseudo-journals) accept and publish almost all submissions and charge article processing (or publication) fees, often informing authors about this after a paper’s acceptance for publication. They often claim to perform peer review but do not and may purposefully use names similar to well established journals.” 5 Additional characteristics of these journals described by Masten and Ashcraft include offering no services such as “expert peer-review, editing, archiving, indexing, and promising almost instant publication.” 6 Shamseer, et al., note 13 salient characteristics of potential predatory publishers such as no retraction policy, homepage language targeting authors, scope includes non-biomedical subjects alongside biomedical topics, manuscript submission via email, and others. 7

In December 2016, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) announced revised recommendations for authors: “A growing number of entities are advertising themselves as ‘medical journals’ yet do not function as such (predatory journals).” The advice to authors was: “Authors have a responsibility to evaluate the integrity, history, practices and reputation of the journals to which they submit manuscripts.” The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a notice in November 2017 reporting an increase in journal articles generated with NIH-funded research published in journals or by publishers that do not follow best practices. 8 NIH issued several recommendations for authors to ensure the credibility of their research findings when publishing:

• Adhere to the principles of research integrity and publication ethics;
• Identify journals that follow best practices promoted by professional scholarly publishing organizations; and
• Avoid publishing in journals that do not have a clearly stated and rigorous peer review process.

How can authors evaluate the integrity, history, practices and reputation of journals? There is no reliable list of good vs. bad journals, nor is there an automated decision-aid tool to use for identifying journals that are suitable for publication. We recommend that authors begin their list of potential journals by considering the journals they use for their research or clinical care. Other potential journals include journals from publications that authors cite in their research, journals they review for, and journals associated with their professional organizations. Mentors and colleagues may also be able to provide insight as to which journals are regarded as relevant for an area of research or are recommended for tenure and promotion purposes. Consultations with mentors and colleagues can be especially important for early-career authors and authors tackling a research topic outside their primary field. Other criteria to consider are noted below.

Criteria for Evaluating a Journal

Scientific rigor.

A key indicator of journal quality is the scientific rigor of the publications published in the journal. When considering publishing in a new or unfamiliar journal begin with a review of publications published over the past few years to assess details such as the purpose of the research, design and methodology, data analysis, results, and discussion, all of which can lend insight as to scientific quality. Tables and figures should be clearly marked, legible and appropriate for the data. References should be comprehensive and current. The procedures used by the journal for ensuring scientific rigor during the peer review process also lend insight as to commitment to scientific rigor. Plagiarism checks using software such as iThenticate, using different statistical testing to confirm data validity, and applying forensic tools to detect image manipulation are examples of practices that reputable journals follow to ensure scientific rigor.

Another clue as to scientific rigor is whether the journal requires use of recognized guidelines for reporting of research. Reporting guidelines help to ensure the quality of scientific research and enhance the replicability of the research. Examples of reporting guidelines are CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, to name a few. As of July 2019, there are over 400 reporting guidelines per Equator Network. 9 A similar requirement by journals is registration of clinical trials before the time of first patient enrollment to be considered for manuscript review. Transparency of journal practices and policies for data sharing is another factor to consider for assessing scientific rigor. Data sharing is integral for ensuring that science is transparent and reproducible, and promotes the integrity of research and fosters public trust. A recent Pew Report in 2019 found that a majority of U.S Adults (57%) trust scientific research findings more if the researchers make their data publicly available. 10

Editorial Quality

Editorial quality noted in publications including editorials, can provide clues as to journal quality. Misspellings, grammar and punctuation errors, or lack of clarity and cohesiveness in writing is indicative of lack of editorial oversight and reviewer commitment. These clues may signal a journal that is not appropriate for publication. Titles and abstracts themselves can also be revealing as to editorial quality—a title that is not descriptive or an abstract that needs to be read more than once may be a warning sign.

Peer Review Process

Transparency as to the peer review process is a benchmark of journal quality. A reputable journal will fully disclose the peer review process including criteria used for peer review, selection of reviewers, the type of peer review, timeframes for the peer review, and how the peer review process is handled by the editorial board. Additional details such as how conflicts of interest are handled, confidentiality, and other ethical standards for peer reviewers should also be available from the journal website.

A quality journal will include information as to issues such as plagiarism, conflicts of interest, internal review board approval, informed consent, human and animal subject research, confidentiality, fraud, salami (or segmented) publications, ghost authorship, data and image manipulation, and other ethical considerations. A journal should include information as to ethics on the journal website, what their expectations are of authors and how they address these issues. Reputable journals endorse guidelines and best practices for publishers such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Editorial Board Members

A review of the journal editorial board can reveal valuable insights as to the quality of a journal. Editorial board members should be known as established experts in the field related to the aim and scope of the journal, affiliated with known institutions, and hold appropriate academic credentials. Contact information for editorial staff should also be available. If information is missing from the journal website or if there is no contact information for editorial board members, additional review is recommended before submitting a manuscript for peer review.

Another clue related to editorial quality is editorials authored by the Editor-in-Chief or members of the editorial board. Editorial board members from reputable journals will contribute frequent and thoughtful editorials that provide context or significance to publications for a specific issue or discuss updates in journal policies for authors and readers.

Journal Reputation/Business Model

The reputation of a journal includes the publisher of the journal, the societal organization that sponsors the journal, aim and scope, mission statement, among other criteria. The publisher of a journal or the sponsoring society can lend strong credence to the quality of a journal. The aim and scope should be clearly stated and other information such as a mission statement or sponsoring organizations helps to assess the reputation of the journal. The business model of a journal should be evident and if there are fees for publication, the fees should be clearly stated on the journal website—in other words, there should be no surprise fees after submission of a manuscript for peer review.

Author Rights and Copyright

The journal policy as to author rights and copyright is another benchmark of a quality journal. Copyright is a bundle of rights that allows authors to use, disseminate, display or modify the work in any medium. Up until 20 years ago, authors routinely transferred all rights to their work to the journal publisher upon publication. Many journals allow authors generous uses of the work after publication and in some instances, will allow authors to retain full rights to the work. Authors are advised to anticipate any future re-uses of their publications before selecting a journal and signing a copyright agreement form. Some authors are required to comply with public access mandates from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the National Science Foundation (NSF). If a journal does not allow for compliance with public access mandates, authors will need to consider another journal. Some journals allow oral rights to the work or reuse of a figure or table in a subsequent work, or posting of the work on a repository; others do not. Journals may also stipulate various uses based on the version of the work (preprint, post-print, and final published version). Transparency of a journal’s copyright policies for authors is indicative of a quality journal.

Indexing Status

Authors want their research to be discoverable and read by others. A quality journal will be indexed by major bibliographic and citation databases such as MEDLINE®, Elsevier Scopus and EMBASE, Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, Cumulative Index for Allied and Health Literature (CINAHL), and others. MEDLINE® is produced by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and has rigorous scientific and editorial criteria for journals selected for indexing in MEDLINE®. Among librarians at our institution, Bernard Becker Medical Library, MEDLINE® indexed journals are considered to be the premier journals in the biomedicine field and many authors rely on MEDLINE indexing status as a strong indicator of a quality journal. In addition, MEDLINE® is a freely available citation database with no subscription required so any author can check for indexing status. As of July 2019, there are 4,995 journals currently indexed by MEDLINE® ( Figure 1 ).

How to Check for MEDLINE ® Indexing Status

However, some journals claim to be indexed by PubMed® which can be confusing as MEDLINE® citations are found in PubMed® along with citations to full-text articles from PubMed Central® (PMC). PubMed®, MEDLINE®, and PMC® are separate entities with different purposes.

• PubMed® is a resource that aggregates citations from MEDLINE®, PMC®, and other resources from the NCBI Bookshelf.
• PMC® is a free archive of full-text journal articles.
• MEDLINE® is a journal citation database from the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

The single web interface of PubMed® blurs these distinctions, leading to confusion for authors and in some cases, publishers. Journals that claim to be indexed in PubMed® or Google Scholar are cause for concern. When it comes to selecting a journal, we encourage authors to verify the indexing status of a journal using a bibliographic and citation database rather than relying on the journal website, or check with a librarian affiliated with your institution or a local public library.

Impact Factor Scores

Authors often use various journal impact factor scores as criteria for selecting a journal. The Journal Citation Reports Journal (JCR) Impact Factor score was developed in the early 1960s for selection of journals in the Web of Science citation database and as an acquisitions tool for libraries. 11 The JCR Impact Factor score evolved over the years to be associated with identifying “high impact” journals for publication. 12 Other journal impact scores have been launched recently, including the Eigenfactor, introduced in 2008, and CiteScore, launched in 2016. Impact factor scores are calculated for indexed journals in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, and broadly, the calculations are based on the number of citations within a specific timeframe garnered by publications from journals. Some journals often note impact factor scores from sources such as a directory or a catalog which do not contain citation data. Authors should be wary of vague scores touted from non-citation data sources. A more holistic approach in selecting a journal is recommended instead of relying on impact factor scores. Per Ioannidis and Thombs, “Authors should pick target journals based on relevance and scientific rigor and quality, not spurious impact factors.” 13

Journal Operations

Journal operations include archival practices for articles using platforms such as PORTICO ( https://www.portico.org/ ) or JSTOR ( https://www.jstor.org/ ), whether a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is assigned to articles or an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is assigned to the journal, and the publication schedule. An irregular publication schedule, excessive advertising, and missing or sporadic issues are indicative of unstable journal management. The aim and scope, editorial board, instructions for authors, and journal contact information should be available and easy to find.

Invitation to Publish a Manuscript or Submit an Abstract to a Conference

We are aware of many email solicitations for journal publication or invitations to submit an abstract for a conference, and in some cases, including invitations to speak at conferences. These emails are usually generic in nature and contain stilted or archaic language. Unrealistic promises are made such as acceptance of publication within hours and publication within days. Some emails include phrases such as “let us know how much you can afford towards the article processing charges.” Table 1 . Names, postal addresses and email addresses are taken from publication records found online in freely available databases and for some, the subject line of the emails match verbatim the title of a funded NIH award and the full Principal Investigator’s name as noted in NIH RePORTER, ( https://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfma ), a freely available resource. There are instances where authors are invited to submit a publication in a journal such as those published by Annual Reviews and these invitations are usually sent by a known colleague in your field of research. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Email Solicitation Warning Signs

Our institution has even warned that emails from conferences or journals may be potential phishing attempts. If you are interested in a specific conference or journal but are unsure if it is genuine, apply commonly recommended techniques for handling suspicious email: don’t click on any links in the email itself, rather type in the address for the conference or journal website on your browser. Then use the criteria described above to determine if the event or journal is credible.

Publishing in journals that are not reputable can diminish the credibility of your research, limit your career, and may result in little or no dissemination and uptake. When selecting a journal for your publication, a good starting point are the journals that you, your colleagues, and mentors use for research and clinical care. The next step is to review publications in the journal you are considering to assess the scientific rigor and editorial quality of the publications. Transparency from the journal as to its aim and scope, the editorial board, indexing status, the peer review process, reputation, and policies for authors are among the key indicators of quality journals. These criteria can help identify quality journals suitable for publication. Two resources with additional guidance we recommend are: Think. Check. Submit. ( https://thinkchecksubmit.org/ ) and Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing from the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association ( https://oaspa.org/principles-of-transparency-and-best-practice-in-scholarly-publishing/ ). Another option for authors is to consult with librarians affiliated with your institution or a local public library. Librarians are well-suited to provide guidance in helping authors with selecting quality journals to consider for publication. While it involves some effort, performing due diligence in your evaluation of the integrity, history, practices, and reputation of a journal before submitting a manuscript will help ensure that your work gets the readership it deserves.

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Robert Engeszer and Mychal Voorhees for their review of the work.

Amy M. Suiter, MS, MLS, and Cathy C. Sarli, MLS, AHIP, are at the Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.

Contact: ude.ltsuw@cilras

Cathy C. Sarli is a reviewer for the NIH National Library of Medicine PubMed Central (PMC) Journal Review Program. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Amanda Hoover

Students Are Likely Writing Millions of Papers With AI

Students have submitted more than 22 million papers that may have used generative AI in the past year, new data released by plagiarism detection company Turnitin shows.

A year ago, Turnitin rolled out an AI writing detection tool that was trained on its trove of papers written by students as well as other AI-generated texts. Since then, more than 200 million papers have been reviewed by the detector, predominantly written by high school and college students. Turnitin found that 11 percent may contain AI-written language in 20 percent of its content, with 3 percent of the total papers reviewed getting flagged for having 80 percent or more AI writing. (Turnitin is owned by Advance, which also owns Condé Nast, publisher of WIRED.) Turnitin says its detector has a false positive rate of less than 1 percent when analyzing full documents.

ChatGPT’s launch was met with knee-jerk fears that the English class essay would die . The chatbot can synthesize information and distill it near-instantly—but that doesn’t mean it always gets it right. Generative AI has been known to hallucinate , creating its own facts and citing academic references that don’t actually exist. Generative AI chatbots have also been caught spitting out biased text on gender and race . Despite those flaws, students have used chatbots for research, organizing ideas, and as a ghostwriter . Traces of chatbots have even been found in peer-reviewed, published academic writing .

Teachers understandably want to hold students accountable for using generative AI without permission or disclosure. But that requires a reliable way to prove AI was used in a given assignment. Instructors have tried at times to find their own solutions to detecting AI in writing, using messy, untested methods to enforce rules , and distressing students. Further complicating the issue, some teachers are even using generative AI in their grading processes.

Detecting the use of gen AI is tricky. It’s not as easy as flagging plagiarism, because generated text is still original text. Plus, there’s nuance to how students use gen AI; some may ask chatbots to write their papers for them in large chunks or in full, while others may use the tools as an aid or a brainstorm partner.

Students also aren't tempted by only ChatGPT and similar large language models. So-called word spinners are another type of AI software that rewrites text, and may make it less obvious to a teacher that work was plagiarized or generated by AI. Turnitin’s AI detector has also been updated to detect word spinners, says Annie Chechitelli, the company’s chief product officer. It can also flag work that was rewritten by services like spell checker Grammarly, which now has its own generative AI tool . As familiar software increasingly adds generative AI components, what students can and can’t use becomes more muddled.

Detection tools themselves have a risk of bias. English language learners may be more likely to set them off; a 2023 study found a 61.3 percent false positive rate when evaluating Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exams with seven different AI detectors. The study did not examine Turnitin’s version. The company says it has trained its detector on writing from English language learners as well as native English speakers. A study published in October found that Turnitin was among the most accurate of 16 AI language detectors in a test that had the tool examine undergraduate papers and AI-generated papers.

Lauren Goode

William Turton

Eric Ravenscraft

Schools that use Turnitin had access to the AI detection software for a free pilot period, which ended at the start of this year. Chechitelli says a majority of the service’s clients have opted to purchase the AI detection. But the risks of false positives and bias against English learners have led some universities to ditch the tools for now. Montclair State University in New Jersey announced in November that it would pause use of Turnitin’s AI detector. Vanderbilt University and Northwestern University did the same last summer.

“This is hard. I understand why people want a tool,” says Emily Isaacs, executive director of the Office of Faculty Excellence at Montclair State. But Isaacs says the university is concerned about potentially biased results from AI detectors, as well as the fact that the tools can’t provide confirmation the way they can with plagiarism. Plus, Montclair State doesn’t want to put a blanket ban on AI, which will have some place in academia. With time and more trust in the tools, the policies could change. “It’s not a forever decision, it’s a now decision,” Isaacs says.

Chechitelli says the Turnitin tool shouldn’t be the only consideration in passing or failing a student. Instead, it’s a chance for teachers to start conversations with students that touch on all of the nuance in using generative AI. “People don’t really know where that line should be,” she says.

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• 10 April 2024

How to supercharge cancer-fighting cells: give them stem-cell skills

• Sara Reardon 0

Sara Reardon is a freelance journalist based in Bozeman, Montana.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

A CAR T cell (orange; artificially coloured) attacks a cancer cell (green). Credit: Eye Of Science/SPL

You have full access to this article via your institution.

Bioengineered immune cells have been shown to attack and even cure cancer , but they tend to get exhausted if the fight goes on for a long time. Now, two separate research teams have found a way to rejuvenate these cells: make them more like stem cells .

Both teams found that the bespoke immune cells called CAR T cells gain new vigour if engineered to have high levels of a particular protein. These boosted CAR T cells have gene activity similar to that of stem cells and a renewed ability to fend off cancer . Both papers were published today in Nature 1 , 2 .

The papers “open a new avenue for engineering therapeutic T cells for cancer patients”, says Tuoqi Wu, an immunologist at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas who was not involved in the research.

Reviving exhausted cells

CAR T cells are made from the immune cells called T cells, which are isolated from the blood of person who is going to receive treatment for cancer or another disease. The cells are genetically modified to recognize and attack specific proteins — called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) — on the surface of disease-causing cells and reinfused into the person being treated.

But keeping the cells active for long enough to eliminate cancer has proved challenging, especially in solid tumours such as those of the breast and lung. (CAR T cells have been more effective in treating leukaemia and other blood cancers.) So scientists are searching for better ways to help CAR T cells to multiply more quickly and last longer in the body.

Cutting-edge CAR-T cancer therapy is now made in India — at one-tenth the cost

With this goal in mind, a team led by immunologist Crystal Mackall at Stanford University in California and cell and gene therapy researcher Evan Weber at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia compared samples of CAR T cells used to treat people with leukaemia 1 . In some of the recipients, the cancer had responded well to treatment; in others, it had not.

The researchers analysed the role of cellular proteins that regulate gene activity and serve as master switches in the T cells. They found a set of 41 genes that were more active in the CAR T cells associated with a good response to treatment than in cells associated with a poor response. All 41 genes seemed to be regulated by a master-switch protein called FOXO1.

The researchers then altered CAR T cells to make them produce more FOXO1 than usual. Gene activity in these cells began to look like that of T memory stem cells, which recognize cancer and respond to it quickly.

The researchers then injected the engineered cells into mice with various types of cancer. Extra FOXO1 made the CAR T cells better at reducing both solid tumours and blood cancers. The stem-cell-like cells shrank a mouse’s tumour more completely and lasted longer in the body than did standard CAR T cells.

Master-switch molecule

A separate team led by immunologists Phillip Darcy, Junyun Lai and Paul Beavis at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, reached the same conclusion with different methods 2 . Their team was examining the effect of IL-15, an immune-signalling molecule that is administered alongside CAR T cells in some clinical trials. IL-15 helps to switch T cells to a stem-like state, but the cells can get stuck there instead of maturing to fight cancer.

The team analysed gene activity in CAR T cells and found that IL-15 turned on genes associated with FOXO1. The researchers engineered CAR T cells to produce extra-high levels of FOXO1 and showed that they became more stem-like, but also reached maturity and fought cancer without becoming exhausted. “It’s the ideal situation,” Darcy says.

Stem-cell and genetic therapies make a healthy marriage

The team also found that extra-high levels of FOXO1 improved the CAR T cells’ metabolism, allowing them to last much longer when infused into mice. “We were surprised by the magnitude of the effect,” says Beavis.

Mackall says she was excited to see that FOXO1 worked the same way in mice and humans. “It means this is pretty fundamental,” she says.

Engineering CAR T cells that overexpress FOXO1 might be fairly simple to test in people with cancer, although Mackall says researchers will need to determine which people and types of cancer are most likely to respond well to rejuvenated cells. Darcy says that his team is already speaking to clinical researchers about testing FOXO1 in CAR T cells — trials that could start within two years.

And Weber points to an ongoing clinical trial in which people with leukaemia are receiving CAR T cells genetically engineered to produce unusually high levels of another master-switch protein called c-Jun, which also helps T cells avoid exhaustion. The trial’s results have not been released yet, but Mackall says she suspects the same system could be applied to FOXO1 and that overexpressing both proteins might make the cells even more powerful.

Nature 628 , 486 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01043-2

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