Publishing an article in a peer-reviewed journal is a highly-respected method of disseminating research and scholarship.  Selecting a journal is an important step in the process.  In fact, it's so important it should be done before you write your article. This guide covers when to select a journal, things to consider in selecting a journal, and how to find a journal. 

Selecting a journal should be done before you start writing your article.  Each journal has author submission guidelines and it's easier to write your article to conform to those guidelines than retroactively having to make changes. 

Sample aspects of journal submission guidelines:

Length:  Journals often have limits on the length of articles they accept and even have guidelines on the length of different sections of an article.

Formatting:  Journals typically have strict requirements about the formatting of article submissions including font, margins, and how to insert figures. 

Citations: Mendeley provides access to over 7,000 citation styles.  Zotero has a repository of over 8,000 styles.  And the journal you submit to might ask for one of those styles with modifications.  

When selecting a journal for your article submission, here are a few factors to consider:

Scope: 

Does the journal publish articles similar to the one you're conducting, whether it's research type (case studies, literature reviews) or content (complementary and integrative care)? Who is the target reader for the articles? 

Quality: 

Does the journal have a peer-review process?  Does it have a low retraction rate?  

Reach:

Where is it indexed?  What's the journal's impact factor? 

Please check out the subpages for each area to learn more.