4 Benefits of Choosing the Right Journal Early in the Research Process

While researchers strive to have their work published in established journals and publications in their respective areas of specialization, they often do not give sufficient thought to choosing the right journal. This is probably because researchers, understandably, give their complete attention to the research process, while trying to juggle academic responsibilities and tight deadlines. Consequently, have little time and may be rushed when choosing the right journal for their research. Identifying a journal to submit your manuscript to is best done sooner than later, since your choice could influence key aspects of the manuscript writing and research process, including experimental design.

While it’s important to complete the journal selection process early on, many PhD students and early career researchers struggle with being able to identify and differentiate between reputed and predatory journals. This article offers four simple reasons why you should begin your journal search early in the research process and tips to help researchers with choosing the right journal.

Benefits of choosing the right journal at the start of your research process

1. Understanding the journal aims and scope helps you save time and align your research process from the get go. While many researchers work tirelessly on their project, they often forget to check if they are following the standards and formats required by their target journal. Identifying your target journal in the early stages allows you to tailor your research, experimental design, and data to meet journal expectations. For instance, journals may have specific rules on the number of participants required for a survey for it to be considered or stringent guidelines in the way you organize and store all your research data. Ignoring these requirements may lead to inconsistencies between what a journal wants and your experimental design or style of writing. This increases the chance of rejection, which can cause undue stress, frustration and fatigue for researchers.
2. Following the journal’s recommended author guidelines is critical to create high-quality manuscripts. Choosing the right journal at the start of your research process greatly impacts how you write the manuscript. Different journals and publications have varying quality standards, writing and formatting styles, and submission requirements, which they mention as part of their guidelines for authors and for submission. This includes a range of very specific requirements, for example how figures or tables are presented, their width or color and even the font size to be used. Certain journals necessitate different styles to be used for sections, for example if the results and discussion sections need to remain separated or be combined. In the rare case that your target journal does not specify guidelines for particular elements of a manuscript, then you should at least ensure it meets the basic guidelines for writing and formatting.
3. Knowing the target journal’s reader profile helps you highlight the most interesting elements of your research. Prior information about your potential audience can prove invaluable in helping you convey the key details of your research effectively to ensure a more impactful and meaningful engagement with your readers. Check and use journal recommended formats and templates to highlight and communicate your research effectively in the form of a well-structured manuscript. Journal editors may also be more likely to favour novel and significant research that is presented in a compelling manner and tailored to be interesting to their audience.
4. Identifying your target journal in advance gives you enough time to prepare and apply for funding. If you are seeking funds to cover your article processing charges, it becomes critical to choose the right journal for your research well in advance. Knowing your target journal will allow you to correctly prepare and submit your application for funding early on in the research process.

Now that you know how choosing the right journal in the starting stages of your research process can be an advantage for researcher, here are some tips to help you with your journal search, especially learning how to know which journal is good for your research paper.

How to select the right journal for your research paper

While choosing the right journal for your research is a simple 2-step process, the multiple checks at each step is what makes this a challenge for most researchers. The idea is to create a broad list of top journals you would want to consider submitting your research to and then shaving this list down to the top three choices. This allows you to quickly revise and resubmit your work in the oft chance you get rejected by your primary journal. Here is a break-down of the process.

1. Create a broad list of journals in your field:
   1. Using the most relevant keywords to conduct an online search for journals in your field.
   2. Note down suitable journals while doing a literature search and review for your study.
   3. Consult with peers or mentors in your subject area and get their recommendations.
   4. Turn to a trusted global journal database, which recommend the best-suited journals.
2. Whittle this list down to your top picks:
   1. Learn about the journal’s aims and scope, including focus and types of articles accepted.
   2. Evaluate the journal’s overall visibility, audience, readership, and impact metrics.
   3. Understand the peer review process, publication charges, time taken for decisions and publication.
   4. Examine specifics like author guidelines, open-access options, acceptance/rejection rates.
3. Weed out predatory journals and publishers:
   1. Beware of journals who send unsolicited emails requesting submissions with the promise of faster publication or invitations to join the journal’s editorial team.
   2. Check if the publishing process and fees are clearly explained on the journal website, and that the full contact details (including address) are provided.
   3. Ask peers or mentors if they have heard about the journal and browse past issues published by the journal to check the quality of articles published.
   4. Check if the editorial board members are reputed and established researchers and if the journal is affiliated with professional bodies like Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ), etc. Instead of relying on the journal, double check affiliations by browsing the organization’s member listings page.

Choosing the right journal early in the research process can eliminate the need to completely rewrite or reformat parts of the manuscript. Most importantly it allows you to tailor your writing style and package the most relevant sections of your research for maximum impact. These insights and simple guidelines will help you optimize your journal search, manuscript writing and overall research process.