Choosing the right outlet for your research outputs can increase the likelihood that your research will be read by others:
- Publish with established, well-regarded and reputable scholarly publishers: These vary by subject but include Springer Nature, Elsevier, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and others
- Strive for excellence: Know and submit to the flagship journals and publishers in your field of research even if you think your article might get rejected
- Select publishing avenues that are indexed in Scopus and Web of Science: This is important for the discoverability of your work as well as for citation data and metrics
- Familiarise yourself with the past performance of publications as reputation can change over time. Use the Sources tab in Scopus (freely available) to assess citation performance over time
- Exercise due diligence: Read what is written about journals and publishers online; visit their websites; and see if their scope aligns with your work
- Target specific journals and publishers before you start writing to increase your chance of getting your work accepted; you are writing to the tone and style guide of that journal and aligning your work with the journal’s expectations