Interested to know your rights as an author? Check out our guide on Copyright and Authors Rights! There we have addendums to add to publisher agreements so you can retain your rights.
Selecting the right journal is important for many reasons, and can impact the overall reach of your work. Below are some resources to help you make this critical decision. If you still need help deciding which journal to use, please contact a librarian for assistance.
Journal Impact and Metrics
For help in learning more about journal impact, metrics, and how this can affect your publication, check out our guide on Bibliometrics and Altmetrics.
Open Access Publishing
Publishing in an open access journal comes with a variety of benefits. A widely used and reliable resource for locating a reputable journal is the Directory of Open Access Journals. For more information on how to publish open access, check out our guide on Open Access Publishing.
Avoiding Predatory Publishers
Predatory publishers are publishers that seek to take advantage of authors seeking to publish their scholarly works. These publishers may charge authors like you exorbitant fees to publish their work, but don't go through the same rigorous editorial and publishing processes of legitimate journals. Think. Check. Submit. is a website founded by a number of organizations that helps authors select safe and trusted journals to publish in. You can also find more information and further resources by visiting our guide on Open Access Publishing.
Other Resources
Journal Citation Reports
Available from UNLV Libraries Database list. The JCR is the authoritative source for determining a journal's impact factor. However, lack of an impact factor (IF) or a low IF does not necessarily indicate poor quality. Impact factors describe journals, not the quality of individual articles.
Ulrichsweb
Also known as Ulrich's Periodicals Directory. Available from the UNLV Libraries Database list. Provides detailed, comprehensive, and authoritative information on serials published throughout the world, including whether or not they are peer reviewed. It covers all subjects and includes information about publications that are published regularly or irregularly and are circulated free of charge or by paid subscription.
Publishing Standards and Guidelines
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) - COPE provides advice to editors and publishers on all aspects of publication ethics and, in particular, how to handle cases of research and publication misconduct. A membership organization, but includes freely available information for non-members.
Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA) - OASPA is a trade association that was established in 2008 in order to represent the interests of Open Access (OA) journal publishers globally in all scientific, technical and scholarly disciplines. This mission will be carried out through exchanging information, setting standards, advancing models, advocacy, education, and the promotion of innovation.
DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing - Developed by COPE, OASPA, and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the organizations have collaborated in an effort to identify principles of transparency and best practice for scholarly publications and to clarify that these principles form part of the criteria on which membership applications will be evaluated.
Excerpts from the "Evaluating Unfamiliar Journals Supplementary Handout" created by Andrea Wirth