The process of selecting a journal to review and publish your manuscript involves a series of considerations and decisions. The primary concern is whether a journal’s subject area encompasses a potential publication’s topic and scientific approach. This is not always readily apparent and may require a decision-making process. An example decision tree is provided in Figure 1, with steps outlined in greater detail below:
Does This Journal Publish the Topic or Method of Research You Aim to Publish?
One approach to finding a potential publication outlet for your manuscript is an in-depth examination of specific journals that appear to publish on your topic. Although the title of a journal may indicate that it is in your field, that does not necessarily mean that they regularly (or ever) publish research on specific topics. Even if the topic of your manuscript aligns with previous topics published in the journal, it might not be a good methodological fit. For example, some journals might prioritize longitudinal research and rarely or never publish cross-sectional studies. Similarly, some journals might solely publish qualitative research, so that would not be an appropriate place to submit a quantitative study. Authors can get direction on the type of publications and topics journals prioritize by reading the description and aims and scope on the journal’s website. In addition, it is recommended for authors to review the most recent editions of the journal and see what topics and methods have been published lately. If the journal has not published on a topic in many years, authors need to review more recent publications to determine of the topic is no longer of interest to the journal or if it is an opportunity to publish an update on the subject. The journal’s publication history can give authors a sense of whether their manuscript would be of interest and a priority to the journal.
If you are not readily familiar with specific journals on a topic, another approach is searching for articles focused on a similar topic (and using a similar methodology) as your paper. Some journals routinely publish studies on topics that might not have an obvious link to the journal title. For example, the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (AJO) “articles that clarify, challenge, or reshape the prevailing understanding of factors in the prevention and correction of injustice and in the sustainable development of a humane and just society” (AJO Journal Scope Statement, 2022, para. 1). AJO’s scope statement specifically states they publish:
Contemporary topics in AJO’s topical scope include, but are not limited to, public behavioral health and prevention; institutional reform; causes and solutions to behavioral healthcare disparities; adaption of behavioral health methods to the needs of racial, ethnic, cultural and other minority groups; responses to natural and human-made disasters; immigrants and refugees; underserved behavioral health populations; protection of vulnerable people; and sociocultural dimensions of behavioral health problems.
What might not be readily apparent from this journal’s title and scope description is that they regularly publish research on homelessness. When writing up a study on homelessness, authors may find that they are repeatedly citing research from the same journal – that should be a clear sign that the journal could be an ideal place to submit the manuscript for publication. Similarly, journals with a more medical orientation (such as publications focused on nursing) can and often do publish research on specific topics that might not be readily apparent by the journal title or scope description. So, whether authors are starting with a specific journal in mind or reviewing the literature to find appropriate journals, becoming highly familiar with published research on the topic is imperative for publication success. If authors are struggling to determine whether a journal they aim to publish in is a good fit, they can always consult with colleagues or email the editor or an associate editor and ask if their topic and methodological approach would be of interest.