A guide for Higher degree and Early career researchers

Tools for measuring journal impact.

Journal Citation Reports  is the only authoritative source of journal impact factor data. There are 972 open access journals listed in the 2015 Journal Citation Reports. Access via ACU Library Find Databases page. 

Scopus Compare Journals Tool. Use the Compare Journals Tool to compare up to 10 Scopus journals on a variety of parameters: SJR (Scimago Journal and Country Rank), IPP (impact per publication), SNIP (source normalised impact per paper), citations, documents, and percentage of documents not cited.

Journal Guide. Use this free platform to compare and evaluate scholarly journals. Journal Guide uses the Scopus SNIP measurement (source normalised impact per paper).

Tools for matching journals with the scope of your article

Elsevier Journal Finder locates Elsevier journals that are best suited to your article's title and abstract.

Tools for journal evaluation 

Ulrichs Database provides an indication of the peer review status of a publication. Look for the umpire jacket logo. 

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) provides a authoritative list of legitimate open access publications.

Think Check Submit provides an easy-to-use checklist that researchers can refer to when they are investigating whether a journal can be trusted.

A strategic approach to selecting a journal will increase the likelihood that your article is accepted.

To assess whether the journal is a suitable place for you to publish consider:

• Peer-review - Ulrich's Database provides an indication of journal peer review status. Look for the umpires jacket .
• Prestige - is it well regarded in your field of research?
• Relevance - does your research fit in with the scope and aims of the journal? Target the journals that you read and refer to in your article.
• Readership - is it available in print and online, is it indexed in major databases?
• Timeframe - what is the time from manuscript submission to publication?

Target a journal that best matches the purpose of your submission and tailor your article to the Instructions for Authors available on the journal's website. Major publishers such as Taylor and Francis, Springer, Sage, Cambridge University Press, Wiley and Elsevier have links to information about the submission process.