Range and Specialisation: Is It the Right Journal?

Range and Specialisation: Is It the Right Academic or Scientific Journal?
When deciding on the journal to which an article should be submitted, the overall nature of both the article and the journal should be carefully considered. This goes beyond matching medical papers to medical journals and literary papers to literary journals because there are many different medical journals out there and numerous literary journals. Each journal tends to have a different focus and range: one literary journal, for example, may publish papers on a wide range of world literature, encompassing fiction and nonfiction, prose and poetry in a variety of languages, while another will be more specialised, focussing very closely on one genre in one language from a single period (Middle English poetry, for instance), and still another might only publish work on a particular author (such as William Shakespeare). Some journals pride themselves on being extremely traditional, while others consider themselves unorthodox and avant-garde; some limit the articles they publish to particular themes or approaches. It is therefore essential to learn as much as possible about the range and specialisation of the journals you are considering for your article before making a final decision.

There are many ways to obtain this vital knowledge. Check the ‘About us’ pages on journal websites to find out what the goals and mission statements of particular journals are; scan archived issues to detect prevalent themes and topic areas; read papers already published by a journal, especially any articles that sound as though they deal with the same topic as yours or use a similar methodology. Use the sources that have served as the inspiration for your own work as a guide: if a number of them are published in a certain journal, that journal is well worth exploring. If you ask colleagues or instructors to read and comment on your paper, initiate a discussion about which journal might be a good fit for your work. If you know scholars who are publishing work much like your own, find out where they are publishing and if they might have any helpful advice. Your chances of successful publication and a positive publishing relationship with a journal are fostered by sending an article of top quality that fits the journal’s publishing agenda, and as much care should be taken when establishing a good publishing relationship as is taken when writing a good academic or scientific paper – it will serve both your present and your future goals.