Choosing the Right Journal.
Identifying the right journal to submit to is often a challenge and there is no easy answer. A useful starting point can be to make a shortlist of journals that may be suitable:
Consider the journals you know and read and that inform your research.
Ask colleagues and collaborators for recommendations
You may be able to find a list of journals in your discipline, for example, in the Health disciplines there is the National Library of Medicine (NLM) catalogue of journals referenced in the NCBI databases.
There could be academic or professional body guidance to refer to. For example, the Chartered Association of Business Schools’ Academic Journal Guide.
Use Library Search or the library databases, available via the Library Gateway, to find articles similar to the one you would like to publish. The journals which have published the articles may be suitable for your shortlist.
If you are considering publishing in an Open Access journal (a journal which does not charge readers or their institutions for access; the author’s funder or institution pays/provides instead), have a look at the subject listing in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) for Open Access journals in your discipline.
Once you have a shortlist of possible journals, you should consider each of these journals in more detail to make sure the journal is a good fit for your research, that publishing in it will help you to fulfil your publication goals and that it is a reputable journal that you can trust.
Be prepared to identify several possible journals, in case you are unsuccessful with your first choice.
If you are considering publishing in an Open Access journal, have a look at the subject listing in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) for Open Access journals in your discipline.