How to Get Published Webinar Series: How to select a journal Q&A

By Jessica Lipowski

In our free monthly webinar series, we receive hundreds of questions from attendees, and we try to answer as many as possible during the webinar. We selected a few of the most common questions regarding how to select a journal, and here is what our experts had to say:

Should I choose a journal based on ranking, speed or ease of getting published? 

We recommend choosing a journal based on scope and quality of the publication, which does not always equate to high Impact Factor or rank.  If you are looking at journals that are within a similar scope and your paper matches the journal(s) requirements and the journal(s) audience, then you can boil down to the specifics and start comparing turnaround time, rank, and acceptance rate, among other metrics. You may also be facing certain requirements from your institution or funder, which may factor into the selection process. In some instances, time to publication may be more important. For others, certain metrics might take the lead. Regardless, be sure that the papers being cited are cited for the right reasons. Save your research for the right journal audience and the rest will fall into place.

Are there types of journals where publishing in them reflects poorly on your work? Should one always try to publish in the most exclusive one, or if in the interests of quickly getting the research out there as quickly as possible, is an online open access journal ok? 

First and foremost, we recommend avoiding predatory publishers. Publishing in one of these journals can reflect poorly on you or your work. We have two great articles on how to avoid predatory publishers: 5 Tips to Avoid Predatory Publisher Groups and Identify Fraudulent Emails and How to Protect Yourself from Predatory Publishers and Other Open Access FAQs. 

Publishing Open Access is completely acceptable, especially if turnaround time is preferred. We recommend focusing on your research and the target audience/end reader. This will help you identify the best journal to submit to, even if it’s not considered one of the most exclusive journals. By focusing on the Journal’s aims and scope and end readership, that will be best to help people find your published research. 

Are there any journals that are more likely to provide direct assistance to help new academics improve their manuscripts?

Yes, there are some journals that put more emphasis on helping early career authors get published. Typically, these journals will include specific language about this in their manuscript guidelines or during submission. The Editor or a senior reviewer might provide some extra guidance. Some societies also have programs that provide support--such as a "friendly review" (a society member provides feedback to an author prior to submission). On the opposite side of the spectrum, some journal editors feel that this type of support is the responsibility of the academic advisor rather than the editorial board. In sum, please be aware that each journal is unique in this regard. 

Do Journals reject based on an author’s country of origin? 

No, SAGE Editors do not discriminate based on location of authorship. We take great care to advise our reviewers not to make judgements about a paper based on personal, financial, intellectual biases or any other considerations than the quality of the research and written presentation of the paper. SAGE Editors are also committed to maintaining and promoting consistent ethical policies for their journal. If an author believes the decision regarding their manuscript was affected by the publication ethics breach, they should review SAGE’s Complaints & Appeals Procedure here: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/complaints-and-appeals-procedure. Some journals will not accept papers that are not new and noteworthy, so that may play a part in acceptance/rejection. We recommend you check the manuscript submissions guidelines prior to submission for full information.

Is it ever appropriate to submit a significantly revised manuscript to the same journal, after first rejection? 

It depends. Some journals do not allow resubmission after rejection. However, if your manuscript was rejected after peer review and you have the reviewer or Editors comments and you sufficiently addressed them, you might be able to reach out to the Journal and resubmit. I would recommend contacting the Editor first in this instance or reading the author guidelines to be sure this is allowed, as this is a journal-by-journal policy.

What alternative routes are there to publication for academics and researchers who don't have PhDs? 

Not all journals require authors to have a PhD, so only look at the Journals who do not. Often this is discipline and research specific and focused more on the items contained in your manuscript and methodology more than anything.  

We also encourage you to attend conferences to network and collaborate with people who do similar research. Who knows, they could end up co-authoring a paper with you. 

We recommend volunteering to be a reviewer, as well, for journals in your field. It will allow you to see submitted papers, comments from other peer reviewers, and the final decision. You can then use what you learned to better frame your paper. You might also be able to meet other potential co-authors through this volunteer work.  

How can I keep up to date with Journals? 

We have a variety of offerings to help you stay up to date with SAGE and industry news including the following:  

• SAGE Perspectives Blog:  Topical and impactful posts written by both SAGE staff and authors that discuss research, guidance and tips, and publishing industry-related issues 

• Social Science Space:  An online network for social scientists features blog posts by key players, forums for discussion, a resource center with free videos, reports, and slides, and funding/job opportunity notices 

• MethodSpace:  A place for researchers (from students to professors) to network and share research, resources, and debates. Users have free access to selected articles, book chapters, and more that highlight emerging topics in the field 

• Newsroom:  All of SAGE’s big news—from new partnerships to updated video collections 

• Discipline Hubs: All of our recently published articles, special issues and key book titles can be explored via our  SAGE Discipline Hubs, as well as a full list of our journal portfolios. SAGE’s Hubs display the breadth of our publishing across each of the disciplines, with a focus on providing you with free access to the latest content and information. We pride ourselves on innovation and these Hubs represent our desire to better showcase each discipline’s offerings to help ensure that you can continue to discover and engage with your content more regularly and effectively. View our  full list of discipline hubs. 

You can also receive alerts on the latest products and journals research in your area of interest via the following: 

• SAGE Journals: create a profile and sign up to receive journal alerts at  https://journals.sagepub.com/action/registration  

• SAGE Publishing: create a profile to receive alerts from SAGE related to our other product offerings at  https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/register
  

If you would like to register for upcoming webinars or to watch the recordings of past events, click here.