Choosing a journal: build a shortlist you can defend
Compare audience, scope, methods and practical constraints with a three-journal worksheet.
Read guide: Choosing a journal: build a shortlist you can defendInsights
Make your next publishing decision with confidence.Detailed guides for researchers and librarians, with primary sources, practical worksheets and questions worth asking before you commit.
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12 guides
Research, submission & publication
How to verify a journal’s indexing claims
Check identifiers, coverage dates and current status in the original database, and keep an evidence log.
Read guide: How to verify a journal’s indexing claims
Journal invitations and hijacked websites: checking who is contacting you
Trace the real journal, verify an invitation and respond to impersonation without relying on stereotypes.
Read guide: Journal invitations and hijacked websites: checking who is contacting you
What impact factors and quartiles tell you about a journal
Read citation metrics with their year, category and limitations, using a reproducible metrics worksheet.
Read guide: What impact factors and quartiles tell you about a journal
What will publishing this paper actually cost?
Build a complete publication budget and confirm waivers, institutional agreements and payment terms.
Read guide: What will publishing this paper actually cost?
Publishing without an APC: finding a workable route
Compare diamond journals, subscription routes, repositories and fee support without confusing who pays.
Read guide: Publishing without an APC: finding a workable route
After a desk rejection: revise, transfer or appeal?
Read the decision accurately, audit the submission and choose a defensible next step.
Read guide: After a desk rejection: revise, transfer or appeal?
Responding to peer review when you disagree
Plan revisions, resolve conflicting requests and write a clear response with an annotated template.
Read guide: Responding to peer review when you disagree
Agreeing authorship before submission
Separate eligibility, contributions and author order, with an approval worksheet for collaborators.
Read guide: Agreeing authorship before submission
Using AI in a manuscript: disclosure, verification and responsibility
Record tool use, verify outputs and prepare disclosures that match the journal’s current policy.
Read guide: Using AI in a manuscript: disclosure, verification and responsibility
Preprints and accepted manuscripts: which version can you share?
Match the manuscript version, destination and permission before posting, with a sharing worksheet.
Read guide: Preprints and accepted manuscripts: which version can you share?
When a published paper changes: corrections, concerns and retractions
Check the current record, report errors clearly and reassess citations when findings change.
Read guide: When a published paper changes: corrections, concerns and retractionsNo guides match this search.
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About these guides
Written by Find Right Journal for researchers, postgraduate authors and academic librarians. Each guide links to its sources and includes a worksheet, template or decision procedure. Journal policies are identified as examples, with their scope and date checked. The guides do not endorse individual publishers or calculate directory ratings.
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