Massage Therapy

Can your target audience easily find and access the journal?

If you feel that your work would be beneficial to members of the broader community, you may want to think about whether the journal you select makes its articles freely available to read (open access) or only available to those affiliated with an institution who can afford a paid subscription (e.g. a university). 

You may also want to consider what databases or search tools the journal is included in (i.e. will researchers in the field find your work). This is known as indexing. Many journals are included as part of Google Scholar, but might not be listed in disciplinary databases (e.g. PubMed, CINAHL). One place to find this information is Ulrich’s Periodical Directory - search for the journal title, and review the section on indexing. You can also look at the list of publications in the database itself. To see if the journal you are considering is included in PubMed, search the list of journals and confirm that the journal is indexed for Medline (i.e. articles from this journal are regularly listed and searchable in PubMed)

Is the journal reputable?

Some of the factors that may feed into a journal’s reputation include whether the articles are peer reviewed, how often the work in the journal is cited by others, the history of the publication, and the potential sponsors of the journal (e.g. a professional association). Your instructor is also a great source of advice on how particular publications are viewed by those working in the discipline.

There are some journals who make false promises to researchers about the rigour of their peer review process and importance in the field in order to make money. You may come across these predatory journals in searches, and it is important to learn how to recognize them. For more information on what to look for, check out our resources on predatory publishing.

Does the journal publish work by students and practitioners, or typically only those affiliated with large academic institutions?

Journals typically receive more submissions than they can publish. Some high profile journals receive thousands of submissions each year. For example, JAMA typically receives 9,400 manuscripts each year, only 11% of which are accepted (JAMA, 2023). 

In addition, research has shown that an author's affiliation can sometimes have an impact on whether or not their research is appropriately considered for publication by a journal's editors (e.g. Reingewertz & Lutmar, 2018)

It can be difficult as a student to gain access to insider knowledge about a journal and its publishing patterns. One thing you can do is take a look at recent issues of the journal you are considering to see the backgrounds of its authors. Some journals also publish their acceptance/rejection rate, which might signal how much competition you will be facing. 

How often does the journal publish?

Some undergraduate research journals publish only once a year or haven’t put out new issues in some time. You should not submit the same article to more than one journal at a time, so it is important to review the website for upcoming submission deadlines so that your work isn’t stuck in limbo. If a journal has not put out an issue in the last two years, it may have gone dormant (not uncommon for student led journals) and you might want to look elsewhere.