So, you want to get published. For new and experienced authors alike, finding the right journal with the right audience for your article can be a challenge. The number one reason manuscripts are rejected is because they are submitted to the wrong journal, usually because the scope of the article doesn’t match the scope of the journal. Doing your homework and choosing the right journal for your article is the first step to getting published. The following are steps to help you determine whether a journal is a match for your article. 

Characterize your article

• What type is your article? Is it a full-length research paper? Is it a brief report? A case report?
• Who is your intended audience? Researchers? Clinicians? Policy makers? Educators?
• What is the mission purpose or intended message of your article?
• Was your article funded by an entity or institution with mandates and policies on where you can publish? 

Evaluate potential journals 

• Visit candidate journal websites.
• Read the About the Journal section to learn more about their mission and article expectations.
• Examine the Instructions for Authors to ensure the journal accepts articles like yours.
• Go through the latest issue Tables of Contents to get a better sense of the types and topics of articles they publish.
• Be aware of any calls for papers the journal might have as well as upcoming themes or special issues; do they fit your article?
• Understand any special requirements a journal may have; for example, most journals expect that clinical trials be registered in advance of data collection and recommend registration of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
• What is the journal’s peer review process? Do they have evidence of quality peer review, clear editorial correspondence, and fair decision-making?
• Is the journal indexed? Does it matter?
• Does the journal prefer that prospective authors send a query to the journal editor prior to submitting the manuscript?
• What are the “extras” the journal offers? Color images, supplemental digital content, etc.
• What is the journal’s publication model? Is it Open Access or free-to-publish-pay-to-read? Or is it a hybrid journal?
• Be aware of predatory journals!
• Check out this comprehensive list of LWW journals (sorting by subject may help): https://lww.com/pages/journals.aspx 

Reach out to the Editorial Office 

• When in doubt, send an email to the Editorial Office to ask questions. 

After you have chosen the right journal, it’s time to submit! Good luck!

Updated from https://wkauthorservices.editage.com/resources/author-resource-review/March-2015.html and https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/authors-finding-the-right-journal by Susan J. Henley, PhD, RN

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