On January 8, 2025, we hosted a webinar in our How to Do Research and Get Published webinar series. This webinar was centered around the topic ‘How to select a journal.’ We were joined by Jessica Offenberger, Robert Tinkle, and Dr. Brittany L. Hott, who each provided invaluable insights.
As we didn’t have time to answer all the excellent questions posed by our live attendees, this blog post, coordinated by our panel and our editorial team, hopes to further shed light on some essential questions related to the topic.
Whether you were an attendee of the webinar looking for answers to a question you posed, or if you are looking to get practical advice from academic experts about digital research, this post is a great place to start.
If you’re interested in watching the recording of this webinar or exploring one of our previous webinars, complete the form at this link and receive immediate access to our full library of webinar recordings.
Looking ahead... the Sage Campus team are running this insightful webinar next month. Don't miss out.
Doing Research with Historically Marginalized Communities
Date/time: February 11th, 10am PST/1pm EST/6pm GMT
Speakers: Dr. Shatonda S. Jones is an Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program at St. Bonaventure University.
Dr. Toy Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director of a Women’s Studies Program at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Journal Readership and Policies
1. How can I find the total readership of a journal?
The best place to start is by checking the Journal's website. Many journals list their readership metrics on their website. Look for sections like About the Journal or Description, Impact and Reach or Circulation Data. Sometimes this is also contained in a Media Kit or Advertising Kit. If the journal is associated with a professional society, the society may publish readership data or reports on the journal’s influence. If the information is not publicly listed, you can contact the Editor or Publisher for more information.
2. How can I identify publications that do not sell articles for AI training or require author opt-in?
Unfortunately, there is not a resource for authors to check this for specific journals at the moment.
Open Access Publishing
3. The visibility and accessibility of open-access publishing are appealing, but the high article processing charges (APCs) can be prohibitive. What strategies or funding options would you recommend for researchers facing financial challenges who want to publish open access without compromising on journal quality or visibility?
Publishing open access (OA) can be challenging due to high article processing charges (APCs), but there are several strategies and funding options available to help researchers publish in quality journals without financial strain.
Seek Institutional Support. Many universities and research institutions have dedicated OA funds to support APCs. Some academic libraries have agreements or memberships with publishers that include APC discounts or waivers. Check if your institution has transformative agreements with publishers, where APCs are covered as part of subscription fees. Some subscription-based journals offer OA options for individual articles (hybrid OA). While this can be expensive, institutional agreements might reduce costs.
Research Grants: Include APCs as a budget item when applying for grants, if the funding agency supports OA publication. Some funding agencies, like the NIH, Wellcome Trust, and European Commission, explicitly cover APCs. Organizations such as the Gates Foundation or Open Society Foundations provide funding for OA.
Discounts & Fee Waivers: Many publishers offer APC waivers or discounts based on financial need, particularly for researchers from low- and middle-income countries. You can also reach out directly to the journal’s editorial office to request a waiver or discount. Publishers often accommodate requests, especially for early-career researchers or those with limited funding.
Society Memberships: Membership in professional societies often provides discounts for publishing in their journals.
Platinum/Diamond OA Journals: These journals do not charge APCs, as costs are covered by institutions, grants, or consortia.
Cost-Sharing: Collaborate with co-authors from institutions with funding for APCs.
4. Do I need to publish my article in open access to include it as a chapter in a manuscript?
Whether you need to publish your article as open access (OA) to include it as a chapter in a manuscript depends on the copyright agreement and reuse policies of the journal in which the article is published. First of all, check the copyright agreement. If you transfer copyright to the publisher, you may need their permission to reuse the article in a manuscript. This can include additional fees. If the article is published under a Creative Commons (CC) license, reuse is generally easier. For instance, a CC BY License allows reuse with attribution, even for commercial purposes. Many journals allow authors to deposit a version of their manuscript (e.g., preprint or postprint) in institutional repositories or personal websites. Check if you can use this version for your manuscript. If the journal doesn’t allow direct reuse or if you’ve transferred copyright, you’ll need to request permission from the publisher. Publishers often have clear processes for requesting permission. If reusing the original article is not possible, you can adapt its content into a new chapter. This involves rewriting or summarizing the article and avoiding verbatim reuse of figures, tables, or text. Regardless of OA status, you should always cite the original article properly in the chapter. When in doubt, leave it out or secure appropriate permissions.
Manuscript Preparation and Submission
5. How can I effectively reduce the word count of my paper to meet word limit requirements?
Reducing the word count of your paper while preserving its quality and meaning can be challenging, but it is achievable with a systematic approach. To begin, identify key content to retain. Focus on your objectives. Ensure your research questions, methods, results, and conclusions remain clear. Eliminate redundancies. Prioritize content. Remove less critical details, particularly in the introduction or discussion. Practice concision in your writing by using active voice and avoiding wordy phrases. Simplify your language and eliminate unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.
You can also trim specific sections. For instance, in the abstract, keep only essential details about objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. Avoid lengthy background information in the introduction and stick to context relevant to your research. In the methods section, describe key methods concisely and refer to supplemental materials or standard protocols when possible. In the discussion section, focus on interpretation and implications; avoid overexplaining. In all the sections, remove or condense redundant elements. Ensure tables and figures complement, not duplicate, text. Refer to them without repeating all details. Move non-essential details to appendices or supplementary files.
Finally, lean on your peers. Ask colleagues or co-authors for feedback on unnecessary sections or overly detailed descriptions. If you have received a revise-and-resubmit decision on your submission, pay special attention to the feedback you received in reviewer reports. In all that you do, focus on the key content and on what data actually needs to be conveyed.
6. How can I ensure my citations and references in Endnote align with journal requirements, especially when there are slight variations in styles like Chicago?
Ensuring that your citations and references in EndNote align with a journal's requirements, especially when dealing with variations in styles like Chicago, involves several steps.
First, choose the correct style in EndNote.
Open your EndNote library. Go to Edit > Output Styles > Open Style Manager. Find and select the style you want to use (e.g., Chicago 17th Edition [Author-Date] or Chicago 17th Edition [Notes and Bibliography]).
If the style is not listed, click Get More on the Web to download additional styles from EndNote’s website.
If the journal’s requirements differ slightly from the predefined style, go to Edit > Output Styles > Edit [Selected Style]. Modify settings for bibliography (adjust formatting, punctuation, or field order), citations (change in-text citation formats), journal names (select whether full journal names or abbreviations are used), and then save the modified style under a new name to preserve the original.
Then you’ll want to reference the Journal submission guidelines and compare this to the selected or customized EndNote style. Some journals provide their own EndNote styles. Check the journal's website or contact the editorial office for downloadable files.
If they have one available, you can import the file into EndNote using File > Import > File. After generating the bibliography, cross-check a few entries manually to ensure all elements match the journal’s requirements. Look for common errors like missing page numbers or improperly capitalized titles. If you're unsure about any details, consult colleagues or ask the journal's editorial team for clarification on style specifics.
7. What is the average time for publishing?
The average time to publication for a peer-reviewed journal can vary widely depending on factors such as the field of study, the journal's review process, and the quality of the manuscript. On average, the entire process can take 6-12 months, and sometimes 12-18 months or more for highly competitive or slower journals.
8. Do you have tips for getting feedback on a rejected manuscript?
Receiving feedback on a rejected manuscript can be invaluable for improving your work and increasing your chances of publication in another journal. A manuscript can be rejected at a few different stages, whether prior to full peer review (this is called a “desk rejection”) or during peer review (either before or during the process of revising and resubmitting). The most common reason for a desk rejection is that the manuscript is out of scope for the journal. To avoid having your submission rejected for this reason, carefully review the journal’s Description, Aims & Scope, and any other relevant descriptive information before submitting to ensure that your article is in alignment with the journal’s research priorities, methodological approaches, and stylistic/tonal preferences.
If you receive a rejection at any stage, review the decision letter carefully. Most journals provide some feedback in the rejection letter, including reviewer comments. Analyze these comments for insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript. You can discuss the rejection and feedback with your co-authors, peers, and academic advisors or mentors, who might offer fresh perspectives on how to address the reviewers’ concerns. Address the key criticisms identified in the rejection. Be open to making significant changes, such as reframing the research question, adding data, or reworking the analysis. Avoid arguing with reviewers or the editor about the rejection. Instead, view their feedback as constructive and as an opportunity to refine your work. If the decision letter lacks detailed feedback, consider writing a polite email to the editor, such as: "Thank you for your consideration of my manuscript. I would greatly appreciate any additional feedback or insights that could help me improve the work for submission elsewhere."
Career and Professional Development
9. Compared with SSCI journals, are journals in ESCI a good fit for sociological and educational articles considering future career and visibility prospects? Should PhD students aim for publications in the more established SSCI?
The choice between publishing in SSCI (Social Sciences Citation Index) and ESCI (Emerging Sources Citation Index) journals depends on several factors, including your career stage, goals, and the specific circumstances of your research. Ultimately, the quality of your work and its alignment with the journal's scope will have the most significant impact. You’ll want to focus on selecting the right journal for your research, rather than SSCI vs ESCI. If your institution or funder has a specific requirement for publication or promotion—e.g., an Impact Factor of x.x or a ranking in Q1 or Q2—then that will need to be taken into consideration.
10. How advisable is it to become a peer reviewer, and how can an aspiring academic enter this field?
Becoming a peer reviewer is highly advisable for aspiring academics, especially PhD students and early-career researchers. It offers several benefits and helps you build your academic profile. Reviewing sharpens your critical thinking, analytical skills, and understanding of high-quality research. It helps you learn how to evaluate methodology, argumentation, and presentation. Involvement in the peer-review process also increases your visibility within your academic community by facilitating connection with journal editors and established scholars. Peer review experience demonstrates your expertise and engagement in the field, which can strengthen job or funding applications. It also provides firsthand experience of how journals operate and offers insight into what editors and reviewers prioritize, which is invaluable for improving your own submissions. Reviewing is a way to give back to your academic field and help maintain the quality of published research.
In order to become a peer reviewer, you will want to focus on building a strong academic profile. Publish in reputable journals within your field. Editors often invite reviewers based on their publication history. Attend conferences and network with editors and experienced reviewers. You can also express interest in reviewing. Many journals allow researchers to register as reviewers on their websites. Be sure to highlight your expertise, research focus, and any publications or projects. You can also ask your supervisor or senior colleagues to recommend you as a reviewer for journals they work with. Register on platforms like Publons (Web of Science Reviewer Recognition) or journal-specific reviewer databases. Maintain an updated profile that showcases your expertise. We also encourage you to enroll in workshops, webinars, or online courses (e.g., by Publons Academy) that train early-career researchers to conduct reviews, including Sage’s How to Be a Peer Reviewer webinar series.
As you are getting started, smaller journals or less-established ones may be more open to early-career reviewers. Some journals even offer mentorship programs. Over time, you can progress to reviewing for top-tier journals. Be professional. Provide detailed, constructive, and respectful feedback. Stay organized. Keep track of deadlines and the papers you’ve reviewed. Disclose any potential conflicts before accepting a review. And most of all, learn from feedback. Some journals share the editor’s summary or other reviewers’ comments after the review process, which you can use to help refine your skills. Good luck!
