With the multitude of journals on the market and the proliferation of the new ones, it is not always easy to choose to which journal to submit your paper.
Therefore, to avoid wasting time and to comply with the guidelines of each journal, it is best to choose the journal to which you want to submit your article even before beginning to write the article.
How can you be sure you make the right choice?
By clicking on the topics below, you will find a few related questions that will help you choose a journal. Generally, you can find the answers to these questions in the journal's Guide for Authors.
Suitability between the topic of the article to be submitted and the journal
- Does the journal to which you would like to submit your article cover the subject you are addressing?
- What is the scope of the journal you are considering to submit your paper? Is it general (broad scope) or specialized? What is its intended type of readership?
Discoverability, visibility, and reputation of the journal
- Is the journal indexed in recognized databases in your field, such as:
- Compendex (sciences and engineering research publications)
- Inspec (sciences and engineering research publications)
- Web of Science (multidisciplinary research publications, including sciences and engineering)
- PubMed/MEDLINE (research publications in health sciences and biomedical engineering)
- Are you or your colleagues familiar with the journal?
- Have you ever read articles published in this journal?
- How long has the journal been in existence?
- Is the journal published by a reputable publisher?
- Is it an Open Access (OA) journal? If yes:
- If the journal is not available in open access and if your research is supported by a grant from one of the three federal research granting agencies or by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), does the journal's archiving policy allow you to disseminate your article in open access?
- Does the journal have an impact factor? To find out, consult the Journal Citation Reports. Are there other journal metrics for that journal? If so, what do they show?
- What is the acceptance rate of the articles submitted?
- How many articles does the journal publish each year? Does the journal publish approximately the same number of articles per year?
Publication time frames
- How long does it take for the peer review process (Review Speed)?
- How long does it take from manuscript submission to online publication (Online Article Publication Time)?