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How to Select the Best Journal for Your Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Checklist
Table of Contents
You’ve spent months working hard on your research paper. Now comes the big question:
Where should I publish it?
With over 40,000+ journals (Scopus Only), picking the right one can feel overwhelming. Apart from these, you may fall into predatory journals (fake journals with unethical means of publication) and ruin your research career. To prevent you from publishing in fake or predatory journals, Manuscriptedit’s esteemed editors have created a simple and powerful checklist to guide you step-by-step- where to publish?
Whether you’re a first-time author or an experienced researcher, this checklist will help you choose the best journal and avoid common mistakes.
10-Point Journal Selection Checklist
1. Define Your Research Scope and Discipline
Ensure the journal is relevant to your topic.
Example: If your research is on AI in healthcare, select a journal that encompasses tech and medical research, not general computer science.
Our Service: Basic Journal Selection utilizes experienced editors and professors with years of publication experience to assist you in selecting the best journal in your discipline.
2. Check Journal Indexing
Only select journals covered by Scopus, PubMed, or Web of Science. They are reliable and well-known all over the globe.
If you select a non-indexed journal, institutions or employers can ignore or not consider it at all.
Our Service: We assist you in selecting Scopus—and PubMed-covered journals your institution can accept.
3. See the Impact Factor
Impact Factor (IF) indicates how much a journal’s articles are quoted.
High IF = More Exposed
But: High IF = Harder to get published
Use Journal Citation Reports (JCR) to verify IF.
However, Professor Murphy says that young and budding researchers should not run after Impact Factor; instead, they must find a journal that speaks to their audience, even if the impact factor is low. Talk to your supervisor or seniors who have already published; they can guide you better.
4. Verify Peer Review Process & Time
Search for journals explicitly stating how long the review will take (usually 4–12 weeks).
Be wary of journals that mention “24-hour peer review “. These tend to be predatory. Don’t fall to these paper mills.
5. Review the Author’s Guidelines
Before you submit, ensure:
- Formatting guidelines: Your paper has been formatted as per the journal guidelines.
- Word length: Maintains proper word count as per the article length.
- Referencing format: The referencing format is correct as per the Journal guidelines.
Suppose you are short on time or the lab experiments or fieldwork are taking too long. In that case, you can avail yourself of Our Target Journal Formatting Service under Publication Support: We will format your paper according to the journal guidelines (the journal you selected). Otherwise, you can use the Journal selection report (JSR) of Manuscriptedit.
6. Utilize Journal Finder Tools
Save time with free tools such as:
- Elsevier Journal Finder
- Springer Journal Suggester
They suggest journals according to your abstract and keywords.
Note: They are tools and cannot be relied on with 100% perfection. Use them as per your knowledge and requirements. But don’t forget to check the journal aims, scope, and other factors listed in this Journal selection checklist.
7. Be Aware of Predatory Journals
Have you ever encountered dubious journals sending you emails of – Publish your paper in 7 days, acceptance letter in 2 days?? If yes, please be aware that they are predatory journals that will use your years of hard-earned research for some money, which will cost you your entire research career. But the question is how to get to know them.
- They will send spam messages
- Asking money to publish without transparent information
- You may find no editorial board, board members having no proper affiliation, or fake editors.
- The website may be a lookalike of great journals, and the name matches with some good journals.
Our Service: Our flagship service is the Journal Selection report. We verify journals with Scopus and other indexing databases to check their authenticity and indexing status and provide the best journal for your manuscript.
8. Open Access vs Subscription
Open Access (OA): The world is after this these days due to its transparency and the mission to make research findings available to all.
- Anyone can read your paper.
- But you might have to pay (₹80,000–₹4,00,000). Talk to your supervisor; at times, your university research cell might fund this.
Subscription Journal:
- Free to publish
- But fewer people might read it
- Pick according to your goals and budget.
9. Check Recently Published Articles
- Look at the latest issues of the journal.
- Does your paper match the current topics they’re publishing?
If yes, that’s a positive sign!
10. Ask Your Academic Network
- Speak with your professors, guides, or colleagues.
- They might be aware of the best journals in your discipline from experience.
- Advanced Journal Selection Tips
Publishing in a top journal for tenure or large career aspirations?
Here are a few more to look at:
- Editor’s H-index: Editors of top journals tend to have an H-index greater than 30
- Altmetrics: Indicates how frequently a journal is referenced online (social media, news, etc.)
Our Service: Advanced Journal Selection estimates your likelihood of acceptance based on citation data.
Don’t Get Rejected by Selecting the wrong Journal
21% of research papers are rejected because they don’t match the journal topic (Source: Wiley).
Solution: Use this checklist to select a journal that fits your paper—before you submit it.
How We Help You Publish Successfully
Journal Selection Services: From simple matching to advanced analysis
Manuscript Editing: Enhance clarity, grammar, and style
Submission Support: Assist with submission, cover letters, and responding to reviewers
Final Tips Before Submitting
Verify indexing through Scopus Preview or PubMed.
Always verify APC (article processing charges) and whether they provide waivers.
Ready to Select the Appropriate Journal?
Our authors helped researchers publish in Nature, The Lancet, and IEEE.
[Try Our Journal Selection Service]
[Book a Free Publication Consultation]
