Identify target publications

Match scope and mission
At every stage in the writing process faculty members should be seeking target venues for the pieces they are working on. A process of matching a manuscript to a publication is a back and forth interplay as the manuscript determines the venue, and the venue influences the form and substance of the writing. It may be helpful to have several target venues in mind for each piece as it evolves. Accomplished faculty members match the focus and vision of the piece to be submitted to the focus and vision of the chosen journal. In addition to locating possible venues as an individual, ask colleagues for places they think the piece might fit. Take the time to browse databases and library collections for possible journals to serve as a place to publish.

Become familiar with journals
Once several possible journals have been selected, it is critical to review guidelines and accepted formats carefully. Read several issues of the journal from cover to cover to begin to understand the tone and preferences of the publication. Look at the content and format of articles that were accepted for publication. Search the website for links to “aims and scope” and “author guidelines” for insight into the coverage of the journal, criteria for acceptance, and the editorial and review process. One way to determine the prestige of a journal is to look up the journal impact factor. This measure is developed by determining which articles are most often cited by others, and is collated and reported in citation indices.

Learn about university presses
University presses demonstrate the parent institution’s support of research in all areas, but in particular for areas such as humanities and social sciences that rarely receive substantial Federal or corporate funding. These presses perform the same task as any other publisher, but with a mission to publish work of scholarly, intellectual or creative merit, often for a small audience of specialists rather than for commercial reasons. They reside in the academic landscape, as an extension of a parent institution. University presses serve a role in a more general network of learned societies, scholarly associations, and research libraries, to support scholarly work. They are charged with serving the public good by generating and disseminating knowledge in a not-for-profit status.

Tailor writing for a particular publication
New faculty members are best prepared to submit their writing for publication once they are familiar with the landscape of publication options. Once several have been identified, it is time to get to work crafting manuscripts that serve a particular purpose as indicated by the publications that have been selected. Do not let the publication determine what is written, but once a choice of target publication has been made, shape the writing to match the purpose of the piece to the mission of the publication. Consider the purpose for publishing and audience for each piece being written, and be certain to connect it to research in the field. As a general format, tell what you set out to do, what you did, and what you found and discuss it. Avoid a passive voice, use “The participants told us,” rather than “We were told by the participants that.” Do not anthropomorphize since the study didn’t conclude, you did. Stay away from wordiness. Use an editor for early feedback and correct all errors. Ask colleagues you admire in field to look at a draft and suggest venues or verify that the target publication you have chosen is appropriate.

Get pre-submission feedback
Accomplished faculty members get feedback prior to submitting articles for publication in order to refine the text, clarify the findings, and ensure quality. One good strategy is to have two colleagues provide feedback before submitting the article, one familiar with the research area to give technical advice, and one who knows little or nothing to determine if the purpose of the paper has been communicated clearly. It may be prudent to have a professional copy editor do a review of the manuscript as well.

Locating Journals

Master Journal List
Thomson Reuters
This site offers a comprehensive list of journal titles, and an essay that describes the selection process used.

Scholarly Research, Publishing and Analysis
Science, Thomson Reuters
This website offers tools to support research, publishing new Journal Citation Reports and other products and services that indicate where new research is evolving.

Arts and Humanities Citation Index
Source Publication List, Thomson Reuters
This index lists journals in the arts and humanities.

Science Citation Index Expanded
Source Publication List, Thomson Reuters
This index lists journals in science disciplines.

Social Sciences Citation Index
Journal Search, Thomson Reuters
Use this site to locate a journal in a particular subject category.

Genamics Journal Seek
Genamics, research from your desktop
This is a categorized database of freely available journal information available on the internet, including description, homepage link, subject category and ISSN for rapid identification of potential journals to publish in, and locating new journals of interest.

Journal Impact Factor

The History and Meaning of the Journal Impact Factor
Garfield, E. (2006). JAMA, Vol. 295, No. 1, p. 90-93
In this commentary Garfield describes how he and a colleague came up with the notion of the journal impact factor in 1955, followed by publication of the Science Citation Index in 1961.

Publishing Associations

Association of American Publishers
The AAP is the principal trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. The AAP Higher Education Committee supports all aspects of production, marketing and distribution of instructional materials for post-secondary education by linking publishers to university faculty, students, administration and college stores.

Association of American University Presses
This organization website offers information about the origin and purpose of the university presses, along with press releases, issues in scholarly publishing, and the value of the presses which are not-for-profit and supported by higher education institutions.

Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers
ALPSP is the international trade association for nonprofit publishers and those who work with them. ALPSP was formed in 1972. Today it is the only international trade association representing all types of nonprofit publishers, and is the largest trade association for scholarly and professional publishers.

Importance of Following Guidelines

Professional Writers Toe the Line of Publishing Format Standards
Articlesbase
This article explores the importance of following manuscript guidelines exactly.

Example publishing guidelines

Writing Style Guides, Keys to Standard Publishing Styles
Suite101.com
This site links to style guides for the major formatting, including: Chicago, Associate Press, and MLA.

AAA Style Guide
American Anthropological Association
This site describes the new manual for AAA style.

APA Style
American Psychological Association
This site outlines APA basics for publications requiring APA format.

MLA Formatting and Style Guide
Russell, T & Brizee, A. (2010). OWL, Purdue Online Writing Lab
This site offers guidelines for publications requiring MLA.

Technical Report Author Instructions
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
These guidelines outline expectations for submitted papers to AAAI Press Proceedings.

AAUP Member University Presses

Abilene Christian University Press

The University of Akron Press

The University of Alabama Press

University of Alaska Press

The University of Alberta Press

American Historical Association

American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

American University in Cairo Press

Amsterdam University Press

The University of Arizona Press

The University of Arkansas Press