Deciding where to publish

Given some of the competing forces and pressures noted in this column over the last few weeks, the above question can almost seem like a double edged sword! For many academics and researchers, the answer is obvious – in a high impact journal where my research will be noticed and cited. But with the movement and pressure both Nationally and at European level moving towards Open Research and Open Access publishing, the answer is no longer so clear.

There can be often be distrust of anything that is freely available and open. This can extend to software and conferences as well as journal publishing. However, as we know from all areas of life, not everything that is free is poor quality. For journals as well as other areas, it’s a matter of asking the right questions and knowing how to evaluate the product.

Open Access journals have sometimes attracted negative publicity because of what are called ‘Predatory Journals’. These are journals which seek to charge for publishing (as is the case with author publication charges for making your research immediately and openly available in a commercially published academic journal) but fail the quality test. Essentially, like many internet scams these days, they just become a money making venture.

Fortunately, there are a number of tools available to assist us in making an informed judgement about where we should publish and why. One tool which has been uploaded to the Tusla Research Centre this week is a Journal Evaluation Rubric. This has been adapted from a tool which is openly accessible on the web and designed by a group of American Librarians. The tool contains a number of statements under the headings of Good, Fair and Poor which offers essential evaluation measures for what any journal (commercially published as well as Open Access) should contain.

A further tool which we’ve mentioned before is the Think, Check, Submit website which in its own words “helps researchers identify trusted journals and publishers for their research. Through a range of tools and practical resources, this international, cross-sector initiative aims to educate researchers, promote integrity, and build trust in credible research and publications.