Your research impact can reflect your publishing strategy. Many factors deserve consideration when developing your publishing strategy, including:
When searching for literature on your research area, which journals publish relevant content? These may guide you to appropriate targets for your own publications.
Do the aims and scope of shortlisted journals confirm your paper will be a good fit?
Does the acceptance process include peer review?
Should you prioritise journals with an international editorial board?
Is there a suitable Open Access publishing option?
Does the journal policy enable you to make a version of your paper openly accessible through the institutional Open Access Repository (OAR), to broaden its discoverability and readership? Is the journal included in a Read and Publish agreement, saving you article processing charges?
How important is quantitative measurement of your research impact likely to be? Can you find a journal Impact Factor (IF) or SciMago Journal Rank (SJR) measure? Is the journal on a list of recommended journals in your discipline? What do these measures indicate?
Consult with your supervisor, esteemed peers or senior researchers for their advice
Sometimes discipline-specific lists of journals may be available, assisting in the process of identifying suitable target journals for publications. Where no appropriate journal list may be found, or to ascertain where a journal is indexed, refer to Ulrich's.
With so many publications and publishers, how can you be sure you can trust a particular journal?
Follow this checklist to make sure you choose trusted journals for your research.