How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Other factors to consider
Where to submit your manuscript
Some preliminaries

In choosing a journal, other factors also can merit consideration. If you might want to post your article on a preprint server before submitting it for publication, it may behoove you to check the relevant policies of the journals that you are considering. Whereas many journals are glad to receive articles that have been posted as preprints, or even require such posting, some journals do not want such articles or have restrictions relating to preprints. It’s best to know in advance.

Another factor for possible consideration is the speed of publication. Increasingly, journals have been publishing papers individually online before they appear in print or are compiled into an online issue. You may find it worthwhile to check whether a journal publishes individual articles online first and, if so, how quickly it does so.

The time from acceptance to publication in a journal issue reflects in part the frequency of the journal. For a monthly journal, the time from article submission to publication, including the time for editorial review, commonly runs several months. Assuming equivalent review times, articles in a quarterly journal tend to take longer to publish. Remember that many journals have backlogs. It sometimes helps to ask colleagues what their experience has been with the journals you are considering. If a journal publishes “received for publication” dates, you can determine for yourself the average lag time. Some journals also post such information on their websites.

Even in this electronic age, quality of printing can be a consideration. In biology, the journals published by the American Society for Microbiology and by the Rockefeller University Press traditionally have been especially noted for their high standards in this respect. Whatever your field, look at the reproduction quality of the journal if it will be important to you.

Finally, consider the likelihood of acceptance. Clearly, not every paper is important enough and of broad enough interest to appear in Science or Nature. Rather, most papers belong in journals in their disciplines or subdisciplines. Even within specific fields, some papers are of great enough importance for publication in first-line journals, whereas many others can better find homes elsewhere. In initially submitting your paper, aim high, generally for the broadest and most prestigious journal in which your paper seems to have a realistic chance of publication. To decide on that journal, perhaps look again at candidate journals and consult colleagues. Choosing a journal that is appropriate with regard to subject matter, audience, prestige, access, selectivity, and other factors can help ensure that your paper will be published without undue delay—and that it will be read and recognized by those it should reach.