Journal Articles

Guides for Scholarly Publishing

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Journal Articles

FAQs: How to check if a journal is reputable?

📍 How to check if a journal is reputable?

Before submitting your article, make sure the journal is a reputable platform for your work. Not all journals, including open access journals, are considered to be reputable, nor do they necessarily follow a rigorous standard of publication ethics. Be wary of 'predatory publishers' that charge high fees for publication or expedited peer-review (pay-for-play). Investigate the listed impact factors and the editors of the journal in question, as they may be falsified on the journal's website. Disreputable publishers and editors may also use your name to solicit submissions from your peers.

Here are some resources for evaluating a journal:

  • Think. Submit. Check
    • This site contains a checklist of things to look for in a reputable journal.
  • SHERPA/RoMEO
    • Different journals may have different policies regarding the the ownership and copyright of your work. This is a directory of policies from various journal publishers. If the journal is not listed, be wary.
  • COPE Members
    • Journal editors who are members of COPE indicate they will follow "the highest standard of publication ethics" and the COPE Code of Conduct.
  • Worldcat Catalog
    • Which and how many libraries have copies of this journal in their collection?

Journal Selection

COPE Members

Being a member of COPE indicates a journal "intends to follow the highest standards of publication ethics" and "will follow the Code of Conduct for Journal Editors" as set by COPE.

Inciteful

Start with one paper and find other similar articles, along with important papers, journals, and authors in the same field.

Journal / Author Name Estimator Mixed abstract and full-text.

With an abstract, JANE is able to recommend a list of journals (mostly from the health and biomedical fields) to submit to for publication, as well as a list of authors and articles covering similar topics.

Think. Check. Submit

Not all journal have the policies, standards, and reputation to be an appropriate platform for your research. Use this guide to help you choose the right journal for your research.