Think. Check. Submit.

Are you submitting your research to a trusted journal?

Is it the right journal for your work?

• More research is being published worldwide.
• New journals are launched each week.
• Stories of publisher malpractice and deception are also on the rise.
• It can be challenging to find up-to-date guidance when choosing where to publish.

How can you be sure the journal you are considering is the right journal for your research?

Reference this list for your chosen journal to check if it is trusted.

• Do you or your colleagues know the journal?
  • Have you read any articles in the journal before?
  • Is it easy to discover the latest papers in the journal?

• Can you easily identify and contact the publisher?
  • Is the publisher name clearly displayed on the journal website?
  • Can you contact the publisher by telephone, email, and post?

• Is the journal clear about the type of peer review it uses?
• Are articles indexed in services that you use?
• Is it clear what fees will be charged?
  • Does the journal site explain what these fees are for and when they will be charged?

• Do you recognise the editorial board?
  • Have you heard of the editorial board members?
  • Do the editorial board mention the journal on their own websites?

• Is the publisher a member of a recognized industry initiative?
  • Do they belong to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)?
  • If the journal is open access, is it listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)?
  • If the journal is open access, does the publisher belong to the Open Access Scholarly Publishers’ Association (OASPA)?
  • Is the journal hosted on one of INASP’s Journals Online platforms (for journals published in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Central America and Mongolia) or on African Journals Online (AJOL, for African journals)?
  • Is the publisher a member of another trade association?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to most or all of the questions on the list.

Complete the check list and submit your article only if you are happy you can answer ‘yes’ to most or all of the questions.

• You need to be confident your chosen journal will have a suitable profile among your peers to enhance your reputation and your chance of gaining citations.
• Publishing in the right journal for your research will raise your professional profile, and help you progress in your career.
• Your paper should be indexed or archived and be easily discoverable.
• You should expect a professional publishing experience where your work is reviewed and edited.

Only then should you submit your article.