Research Guides: Publishing: How to pick a journal

Looking to publish?

Deciding which journal to submit your manuscript to for publication is multifaceted.

Included in this section are links to resources that will help you with your decision, but don't be afraid to ask for advice! Talk to your colleagues, advisors/mentors, librarian, etc.

Who do you want to reach?

Where you publish will affect who can read your work

Clinicians or Faculty
- Typically get access to journals via the institutions with which they work or with which they are members.

Ulrichsweb
Check Ulrichs to see whether the most-used databases (like CINAHL, PubMed, or other EBSCO databases) host the journal you are considering submitting to.
NCBI Databases
You can also use the Journals in NCBI Databases site when choosing a journal based on whether it's searchable in databases.

However, not all clinicians work at institutions that pay for journal subscriptions. If you publish in a journal that places their articles behind a paywall, you may not be able to reach absolutely all professionals.

Directory of Open Access Journals
Look into open access journals in your field using the DOAJ website if access may be an issue for your audience

Practitioners at non-profits or non-governmental organizations
- Very few practitioners employed for smaller organizations will have access to institutional or personal journal subscriptions, and journal paywalls will be a real barrier keeping them from accessing your work.
  - Again, look into open access journals in your field on the Directory of Open Access Journals' website.

What if you don't know who your audience is?

Think about:

Who is writing the papers you are citing in your own work, and where are they published?
Who will benefit the most from your work?
- For example: Are you actually trying to reach parents of elementary-aged kids? Then try contacting school boards, or publish in their newsletter, rather than an academic journal.