After so much effort bringing together the perfect article, finding the best scientific journal to submit it becomes the next big challenge: which one will bring the deserved awareness to your research? Which one will enhance visibility to your work? Which one is the benchmark in your investigation field? Choosing the right journal for publication might end up being more complicated than one thinks.
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.
Choosing a journal for publication
Elsevier offers a wide range of distinguished journals and choosing the best one to publish your research paper should be easier with the provided 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 scientific journals in a few simple steps:
- 1) Enter the title and abstract of your paper;
- 2) Find journals that could be best suited for your publishing;
- 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 affect the right people. Thus, it is not a decision to make without spending some time in research to find out in detail about 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 – some journals are invitation only;
- Use journal metrics to understand the impact of a journal:
- 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.
- If available, check the journal at Journal Insights for additional info about impact, speed and reach:
- 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 – 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.
You’ve decided on the best scientific journal for you. What now?
It may happen, that after sifting every journal there is, and finally have made the ultimate big decision, you realize your text doesn’t match the journal’s Guide of Authors or you feel doubtful about its quality. Don’t worry. It is perfectly normal to make last time adjustments in order to increase the chance of getting a place in the most perfect scientific journal for you. In this case, consider having your article reviewed by professional native speakers that, not only will bring to your text the professional level you aim, but make the necessary amendments to meet your target journal’s requirements. Our Elsevier team’s mission is to guarantee your work is submitted with the best quality possible for successful publication, offering a broad number of services to match your needs:
Language Editing Services by Elsevier Author Services:
- Language Editing Standard: takes a maximum of 7 business days and ensures that your work is written in a correct English (American or British, according to your preferences); it is edited by native speakers and we offer a free re-edit or your money back if the manuscript is rejected due to language errors.
Find more about Language Editing Standard - Language Editing Plus: it is done within 5 working days; it includes unlimited rounds of language review, a manuscript formatting to meet the requirements of the journal of your choice, Customised Cover Letter and an Assessment Report on your document, among other tasks.
Find more about Language Editing Plus - Language Editing Express: it can take up to 96 business hours according to the length of the document and here you get the same high quality but faster.
Find more about Language Editing Express - Language Editing Ph.D. Thesis: ensure that your Ph.D. thesis is written in correct English before you submit it.
Find more about Language Editing PhD Thesis - Language Editing LaTeX: make sure your LaTeX manuscript is edited by native speakers in (scientific) American or British English and written in correct English before you submit.
Find more about Language Editing LaTeX
