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•       Resources       Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing

Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing

In addition to endless piles of reading, demanding expectations in the classroom, student teaching responsibilities, and the always-looming awareness that they need to research, write, and edit a high-quality dissertation before graduating, today’s Ph.D. students also commonly feel stress about another topic: publishing. As more prospective employers expect degree seekers to get their names in academic journals and conferences while still in school, many learners feel overwhelmed by the prospects of making the grade. The following guide answers some of their most pressing questions, provides guidance on the ins and outs of publishing while still in school, and offers expert advice from a professor who knows better than most what it takes to publish rather than perish.

Understanding Publishing in Graduate School

Getting published as a grad student can feel overwhelming at first, because there’s so much to learn about the process and expectations surrounding it. With a bit of research, however, students can familiarize themselves with the specific language surrounding publishing and make in-roads towards getting their first paper published.

What Does it Mean to Get Published?

Within the context of graduate school, publishing refers to getting essays, papers, and research findings published in one of the academic journals or related forms seen as a leader in the field. As jobs in academia continue to become more competitive, it isn’t enough for learners to simply do well in their coursework. The degree seeker who hopes to land an important post-doctoral fellowship or find a teaching position at a college or university must make themselves stand out in other ways.

When Should a Ph.D. Candidate Get Published?

Getting a paper published takes a lot of time and effort, and those students who wait until the final year or two of a doctoral program may fail to actually have any published materials by the time they graduate. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Graduate Connections program , getting a paper published – especially if it’s your first – can take up to three years. In addition to the fact that most journals publish quarterly, the panel review process typically takes a significant amount of time and those submitting for the first or second time usually need to make a large number of edits and complete rewrites in order to reach a publishable standard.

How to Get Published

In order to get published, students submit their work to the journal or conference of their choosing. They frequently also provide a cover letter outlining their research interests. Most journals put out generic calls for submissions once or twice a year, while some may ask for papers addressing specific topics that have a much shorter turnaround time. Grad students may find it intimidating to go up against more seasoned academics, but another option revolves around partnering with their dissertation supervisor or another professor with whom they work closely with to co-author a paper. This not only helps ensure the validity of their findings, but alerts the academic world know that this other, more recognized faculty member believes in the research the student is doing.

Who Should Get Published?

Learners most anxious to get published are those who see their future careers in teaching and research. Because the world of academia is relatively small when divided into individual subjects, it’s important for students who want to break into these ambitious arenas to make a name for themselves early on and create a curriculum vitae that captures the attention of hiring committees.

Where Should Students Get Published?

When deciding which publications to pursue, students should consider the research aims of each and their likelihood of getting published. Newer journals tend to take more submissions as they are still working on building up their roster of contributors. While less venerated than other publications, getting printed in these can help build up name recognition and make it easier to break into the top-tier publications over time.

In terms of where work is published, the majority of students look to academic journals when sending out cover letters and examples of their work. But other options exist as well. Presenting papers at conferences is a popular avenue, as are chapters in books. The following sections takes a more in-depth look at how and where to publish.

Realities & Challenges of Getting Published

Getting published, especially while still in grad school, takes tenacity, focus, and a thick skin. Those who continue working on their craft, presenting at conferences, collaborating with others, and not taking no for an answer, however, frequently find success. Some of the challenges students may encounter include:

Lack of time

It’s no secret that doctoral students have busy schedules that seldom allow for outside – or sometimes, even related – interests to take up much of their days. Because publishing is not a degree requirement, carving out the time needed to research, write, and edit the type of paper required for publishing can feel impossible. With this in mind, student should look for ways to multitask. If presenting at a conference, think about how that paper could be transformed into a journal article.

Lack of confidence

Studies have shown that mental stress and illness frequently increase in grad school as students feel intense pressure to stand out from their peers. These feelings are often intensified when considering publishing, as learners are going up against academics and researchers who have been working in the field far longer than them. It’s important to remember that each of those renowned individuals had to start somewhere.

Lack of funding

Completing the research needed for a competitive paper doesn’t only take time – it requires money. Whether traveling to archives or printing all the necessary documentation, funding for outside research can be scarce while in school. Some programs provide competitive grants for research travel to help offset these costs.

Intense competition

As discussed earlier, competition for publishing is fierce. Academic journals and conferences only have space for so many authors and trying to get noticed can feel like a losing battle. In addition to seeking out newer publications and co-authoring with more notable figures, consider taking part in symposiums at the school you attend to get your foot in the door. While research on the average number of rejections is lacking, don’t feel discouraged if it takes a long time to be chosen for publication.

Finding the right publisher

While getting your name in print within an academic journal you greatly admire is the ultimate goal, it may take some years for it to come to fruition. One of the biggest mistakes students make is applying to ill-suited publications. Look for journals with editorial board members whose names you recognize. If a professor knows one of them, don’t be afraid to ask if they can help get your paper in front of them.

Adequately addressing feedback

Getting a paper published often requires intense editing and even completely restructuring and rewriting what you conceived in the initial abstract. If an academic journal shows interest in your essay but suggests rewrites, pay close attention to their requests and try to work with an advisor to ensure you meet all the stated requirements.

What do Graduate Students Publish?

Academic journals may receive the lion’s share of discussion in the publishing world, but graduate students can actually choose from numerous outlets and paths for getting their work to a larger audience. Students should review the options listed below and think about which format might showcase their work best.

Tips for Publishing

Despite the great amount of work required to publish, students who meet the challenges and persevere stand to position themselves favorably for future job opportunities. The following section addresses some of the most common questions about the process and alleviates general fears about how publishing (or not) reflects upon them.

How many papers should a Ph.D. student try to publish before graduating?

According to scholar-practitioner Dr. Deniece Dortch, no single answer exists. “There is no hard and fast rule as to the number of publications students should have prior to graduation,” she notes. “The reality is students in STEM disciplines and those who use quantitative methods are more likely to have publications prior to graduation because they often work in research teams and labs. This is not to say that qualitative scholars or those in other disciplines aren’t, but it’s a much more standardized practice in STEM for students to graduate with two or three publications. Personally, I had one sole-authored publication accepted prior to graduation, one first-authored piece, and one second-authored piece.”

How many journal articles is it possible to publish during a PhD?

“The answer varies and is determined by factors such as length of program, research team access, and faculty relationships,” says Dr. Dortch. “I’ve seen folks finish with as many as 10 publications, although this is extreme and doesn’t happen often.” She continues, “Imagine you are in a four-year program and you get your idea to write an article in year two. You submit that article in year three after getting approval, collecting data, analyzing it, and then writing your paper. Year three you submit that paper; it may be accepted in year four after months of revisions at the request of the editor. You finally have one published paper as you graduate.”

Are there PhD students who have no journal publications? Should they be worried about that?

“It depends on the type of employment the student is seeking upon graduation,” says Dr. Dortch, “Students applying to or wanting to work in institutions and organizations with the highest levels of research productivity who have no publications may want to consider post-doctoral positions so they have the time and space to work on increasing their publication record after graduation.” She continues, “Postdocs are a very common practice in many disciplines and are used as a way to gain additional training and expertise in research and teaching.”

Is it absolutely essential to have publications to apply for a PhD program?

In a word, no. Individuals working toward doctoral degrees have many reasons for doing so, not all of which require them to publish. Admissions panels also recognize that students focus their efforts on many different goals (e.g. jobs, internships, presenting at symposiums) throughout bachelor’s and master’s programs. As long as learners can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to scholarship, publishing is not an absolute requirement.

Does publish or perish begin before starting a PhD program?

It’s true that many students begin worrying about publishing before starting a Ph.D. program, but the reality is that they have ample time during and after completing a doctorate to make their mark on the world of scholarship. According to a recent article by Inside Higher Ed , some individuals in the academy now wonder if too much emphasis is being placed on grad students publishing. Learners unsure about this should speak to a trusted advisor or mentor to figure out when to focus on getting published.

What is the difference between a published article and a Ph.D. thesis?

While a Ph.D. thesis is required for satisfactory completion of a degree, a published article is not. A Ph.D. also takes a much longer form than a published article, averaging approximately 90,000 words. Academic journal entries, conversely, are usually between 4,000 and 7,000 words.

Should I first write my Ph.D. thesis or publish journal articles?

Though publishing at the doctoral level is increasingly seen as a requirement in the job market, it is not part of degree requirements. With this in mind, students should prioritize the research and writing of their thesis above all else. If they have the time and mental clarity needed to publish journal articles, this can be a secondary focus.

From the Expert

Dr. Deniece Dortch is a scholar-practitioner known for her commitment to diversity, social justice and activism. Dr. Dortch holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an Ed.M. in Higher & Postsecondary Education from Columbia University, an M.A. in Intercultural Service, Diversity Leadership & Management from the School for International Training and a B.A. in Spanish from Eastern Michigan University. Hailed a graduate school expert by NPR, she has published numerous articles on the experiences of historically underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students. She is the creator of the African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative at the University of Utah and currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Higher Education at The George Washington University .

Publishing as a student can feel intimidating. Why is this process important for learners to go through?

Long gone are the days of getting a good job by just having a solid dissertation or an award-winning thesis. Publishing your work while in school demonstrates a commitment to answering and understanding our world’s most complex problems. Further, institutions want to know that you have the capacity to publish. Now, publishing doesn’t mean you have to be first author or that you must publish sole-authored pieces only. Collaboration is also sufficient and often encouraged. The publishing process is intimidating for folks because it involves critique and, most often, rejection.

Receiving and giving critical feedback is part of the learning process and students should not shy away from it because it will only serve them well in the end as they learn to cope with disappointment and reward. But more importantly, there is no point spending months and years conducting research if you are just going to keep your findings to yourself. What you learn is meant to be shared.

What are some common mistakes these learners make when preparing their first papers?

Common mistakes that individuals make include not adhering to the guidelines outlined in the submission process. Examples of this can include ignoring formatting requirements (e.g. APA, MLA, etc.), going over the stated word count, inadequately proofreading, and not submitting a cover letter. This is probably the most important one.

What specific advice do you have for them in terms of finding the right outlet, preparing their work, and submitting to journals?

Students should have multiple individuals read over their work before submission. Writing is a process and even after it is submitted, it will need to be revised many more times before you will read it in print. It is part of the process. To find a good outlet for your work, pay attention to where other scholars are submitting their work. If you’re subject is aligned with theirs, you have a shot. Make a list of at least three outlets that fit your article. Also look out for special calls. A special call for submissions usually goes a lot faster than the regular submission process, so if you’re a student who is about to go on the job market, submit to those first. Also, the more competitive the academic, the longer the process, so keep that in mind. If you are rejected, just re-submit to the the next journal on your list.

In addition to publishing in journals, how else might a student go about getting recognition in their field while still in school?

Apply for all fellowships, grants, and awards that are specific to you and what you do. People in the academy love an award winner and they especially love people whose work has been recognized and/or funded by outside groups. A great way to increase a student’s visibility is to publish outside academic journals and publish in other media outlets. Also attend conferences in your field. Try to get on the program as a presenter or facilitator so that people in your field will start to know who you are and your research interests.

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How to Get Research Published as a PhD Student

The old adage in academia is “publish or perish,” and this saying has some truth. Publishing research during your academic career is an important part of advancing your field. If you’re considering or in the process of getting a doctorate , getting your research published can be overwhelming, but it is crucial for gaining recognition in your field. 

This article will provide valuable insights and tips on successfully getting your research paper published, from selecting the right academic journal to crafting a compelling manuscript.

Understanding graduate student publications

Publishing during your PhD is integral to your academic experience. Depending on your chosen discipline, the expectation may vary — some disciplines expect multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals before graduation. In contrast, your dissertation might be your first published work in others. 

An essential step is understanding your field’s publishing culture. For fast-paced fields like biomedical sciences, it’s common to publish multiple papers throughout the program. But for other disciplines like humanities , the focus might be more on producing a comprehensive dissertation, which often forms the basis for a book or other publication. 

Evaluating these expectations early on helps you formulate a realistic and effective publishing strategy.

It has to be original.

Originality is crucial in publishing an academic paper, as it determines the impact of your research on the field and builds credibility. An original contribution provides fresh perspectives that invigorate intellectual discussions, promote further research and initiate groundbreaking discoveries. 

In the competitive landscape of academia, original work offers a considerable advantage by distinguishing your manuscript from countless others, increasing the likelihood of acceptance and recognition. Moreover, pursuing innovative and ground-breaking work attracts funding and career growth opportunities, as institutions prioritize research demonstrating the potential for significant contributions and future development in your field. 

When discussing originality in research, it’s important to note that original work doesn’t have to revolutionize your field or create something new. Originality in academia could, and most often does, mean contributing new perspectives, interpretations or insights into existing knowledge. 

It should speak to your target audience.

Understanding how to choose a journal is crucial, as it helps you connect with your ideal audience. When deciding where to submit your work, consider the journal’s scope and its readership demographics. By familiarizing yourself with the journals that resonate most with your research, you’ll learn the type and quality of the work they champion. 

You don't have to do it alone. 

Remember that PhD publications don’t happen in a vacuum. Your advisor, colleagues, and other faculty in the department can be invaluable resources as you work to find an interesting topic or viewpoint, submit drafts for review, and move towards the final finished product. Asking for advice and guidance, particularly from those who have been publishing recently, is a great way to ensure that you will reach your audience with what you are trying to do.

Get started on your research contribution! 

Publishing research is part of the challenging and exciting adventure of graduate school. Whether you're interested in history or statistics, psychology or physics, at some point, the rest of the academic community will want to hear about what you are working on. When you publish research, you are contributing to the great dialogue between scholars and thinkers stretching back for centuries.

If you are interested in learning more about what it takes to earn your PhD, we invite you to explore the many resources we have available at SMU: browse our resource library , Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies , or subscribe to our blog . We are excited to help you as you consider your next step in your graduate school journey! 

For a comprehensive overview of the PhD process — from consideration to application to graduation — explore our guide, Choosing, Applying for, and Thriving in a PhD Program.

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• PhD by Publication

Written by Mark Bennett

A PhD by publication is a degree awarded in recognition of an extensive amount of research published in numerous formats or journals. Unlike a conventional doctorate, you are not expected to undertake a new research project. This page will give a simple overview of what a PhD by publication is, and how to get one.

What is a PhD by publication?

Also known as a PhD by portfolio or by published works , a PhD by publication should not be confused with publishing parts of your doctoral thesis . Instead, the degree is awarded to someone who has several existing publications on related topics which can constitute a portfolio of original work at PhD level. This allows people who have not followed the traditional route towards a PhD to obtain recognition for the research they have done and the subject knowledge they have developed throughout their career.

How does a PhD by publication work?

As applicants for a PhD by portfolio will have already completed and published much of their research, this type of doctorate works very different than a standard PhD. We've answered some common questions below.

What subjects can you do a PhD by publication in?

In principle, this type of doctorate can be obtained in any subject (technically, if you’ve already done PhD-level work, there shouldn’t be any reason you can’t get a PhD by portfolio). But, doing the work you’ll need for a PhD by publication is more practical in some subjects than in others. For example, to do research in STEM subjects you might need specialist skills and access certain facilities.

These are usually available during a traditional PhD, making a PhD by publication less common in these subjects. It’s important to note that not all universities offer this route to a PhD and some may restrict access to academic staff.

How long does a PhD by publication take?

This route towards a PhD is much shorter and typically takes upto one year and can be done part-time.

Do you have a supervisor for a PhD by publication?

Similarly to a PhD by thesis, a supervisor is usually involved. They’ll guide you through the process of forming a thesis from your work, helping you decide what publications should be in the portfolio and establish the connections between them.

What types of publications can be used for the PhD portfolio?

The eligibility of the publications can vary depending on the university or the institution. Rules apply to the type, the number, how recently the work has been published and how / whether they are linked.

These publications generally should not have been used in another research degree and can include the following:

• Academic papers
• Book chapters
• Scholarly editions of text
• Technical reports
• Creative work in relevant areas
• Media presentations
• Surveys (and accompanying analysis)

This list offers you a general guideline and there may be some universities that do not accept certain types of publications and / or offer additional platforms to present your research.

How long should a submitted paper be?

Each university will have their own submission length guidelines. However, your portfolio should be comparable in length to a doctoral thesis, totalling between 80,000 and 100,000 words. This usually means you'll need three to eight publications to make up your publication. This number can vary if your publications are shorter in length.

Aside from your publications, your portfolio will likely need to include an introduction, critical analysis and conclusion. Your supervisor will be able to guide you on how long these should be.

How is a PhD by publication assessed?

A portfolio of various publications is bookended with an introduction and a conclusion, consisting of around 10,000 words (this can vary with discipline). This is then assessed much like a traditional PhD: the portfolio thesis is read and critiqued by two examiners in the relevant field of research. If the candidate is a staff member, then the examiners must both be external (from a different university to the one awarding the degree).

This assessment takes the form of an oral examination, or viva voce , carried out between the PhD candidate and their examiners. Once this has taken place, the examiners will determine whether the portfolio and the verbal discussion meet the requirements to award a PhD by publication.

Publishing during a PhD

A PhD by publication should not be confused with publishing during your PhD , which is a common part of a standard doctorate. This is an optional (but valuable) way to boost your academic CV and gain recognition within your field.

Applying for a PhD by publication

Some of the entry requirements for a PhD by publication are similar to those for a normal PhD by thesis (after all, you’re still seeking to prove that you’re up to the standard required for a doctorate). However, the application process can be quite different.

What are the entry requirements for a PhD by publication?

To apply for a PhD by publication, you must have a Bachelors degree and may be expected to have held this qualification for several years (as the PhD by publication is for established researchers / practitioners, not fresh graduates). You may also need to have relevant professional / academic experience on your CV, in addition to your publications.

Other admission requirements vary. Some universities state that the applicant must be a current staff member, whereas others allow external candidates to apply (so it is always best to check with the individual institution). In the UK, PhD by publication is more common among staff members, but this PhD model is becoming a popular option for early career researchers in other parts of the world.

What is the application process for a PhD by publication?

The PhD by publication route isn’t normally advertised and students don’t usually begin by searching for a supervisor and presenting a research proposal. Instead, universities encourage applicants to contact the head of department in the relevant subject area before applying. They will discuss your previous research and advise you on the application process.

The application generally involves a postgraduate application form consisting of a CV and a supporting statement , outlining how the publications fit together, methodologies (and why they were used), a brief discussion of findings and most of all, how this research has given a unique and original contribution to the field. You won’t normally need to provide a research proposal as you aren’t planning an extensive new project.

Fees and funding for PhDs by publication

The costs of a PhD by portfolio are minimal compared to that of a PhD by thesis. However, funding for this route is much less common.

How much does it cost to do a PhD by publication?

The cost usually equates to the typical PhD fee for one year of study. The fees can vary depending on whether you are an external candidate or a staff member. In the UK, the cost of a PhD is usually £4-5,000 for a year for home students.

Can you get funding for a PhD by publication?

Unfortunately, there generally isn’t any funding for a PhD by publication, as this type of degree is aimed at established academics and practitioners who will not be eligible for Research Council studentships and PhD loans. Staff members may get a lower PhD fee and/or some help with the costs, but this will vary depending on the university.

PhD by publication vs PhD by thesis

There are several things to bear in mind when thinking about whether to complete a conventional doctorate or seek a PhD based on your existing work.

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of doing a PhD by publication:

• Work has already been peer-reviewed and critiqued, which gives you an advantage when it comes to your oral examination, as you may already have some ideas of the types of questions and queries that can come up
• Offers a faster (and therefore cheaper) way of earning your doctorate
• You can often continue working whilst creating your PhD portfolio
• A PhD by publication is a useful way of formalising professional experience, meaning you may be able to qualify for more senior roles and progress in your career
• May only be available in specific circumstances (see below)
• It is not suitable for all projects / subjects (some topics need to be set up as complete projects from the start)
• You have less freedom to investigate a new area and design your own research methods
• You won’t normally benefit from other parts of the PhD experience: structured training, academic work experience (teaching, presenting, etc)
• There is limited funding available

Looking for a PhD?

Check out our database of PhDs to find the latest programme opportunities from around the world.

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Integrated PhD programmes consist of a one-year Masters followed by three years of PhD research. Find out more about what it's like to study an integrated PhD, how to apply and the funding options available.

Thinking of applying for the Doctor of Engineering (EngD)? Our guide covers everything you need to know about the qualification, including costs, applications, programme content, and how it differs from a PhD.

A PhD isn't the only option for postgraduate researchers. Our guides explain professional doctorates, joint degrees and compare other qualification types.

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Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

Where to Publish Your PhD Research: Choosing a Journal

This post continues our series about publishing your first paper . We have already covered considerations for when and what you may want to publish. Now for the fun one: deciding where to publish your PhD research.

Choosing where to publish is probably the most contentious question in academia. I hope this post helps with your decision making!

Considerations for where to publish your PhD research

The main reason to publish anything in academia should come down to wanting to help progress the field and provide insights which could be used to inform future research. For an in-depth look into this and other reasons for publishing your PhD research, see the full post here .

No matter your reasons for publishing, it makes sense to aim for a journal which will enable as many researchers who could be interested in your work to see it. In reality though, other factors may come into play which could impact your choice of journal. These include:

• What is the journal’s average response time?
• Does the journal publish many papers using similar methods and techniques to yours? See the Appropriateness section further down the page for more details.
• Is the submission process simple? Would submission there require loads of formatting which is only relevant to that one journal?
• Will relevant researchers in your field see it?
• What does it cost to publish there?
• Are you only interested in publishing to help researchers or do you want kudos? Publishing in a certain journey may help boost your career prospects if you’re staying in research.
• How difficult is it to get something published there?

The choice of where to publish typically comes down to three main factors:

Journal prestige and impact factor

Relevance to the audience.

• Appropriateness for your study design

Let’s get this out the way first: researchers can be snobby about journals!

Disregarding the actual content of your study, successfully getting something published in a prestigious journal can become an accolade in and of itself.

The idea is that getting something accepted in a high tier journal signals the quality of the work. On the flip side, if something is published in a journal no one has heard of, questions may be raised of how rigorous the review process was.

Publishing in a prestigious journal of course can bring kudos to you and your co-authors and look great on a CV, but does it actually make your research any better?

A journal only accepts papers that are within its scope, that is to say that they’re relevant to the audience. Yet, aiming for a top journal won’t necessarily mean that the highest amount of relevant researchers will necessarily see it.

How do researchers actually find papers?

Some of the main ways people find papers are as follows:

• Reading the actual journal , either in paper form or online. Speaking to academics you’ll often find that there are a few key journals they regularly check for new research in their field.
• Searching for relevant papers as part of your literature search. Using tools such as Google Scholar or Web of Science.
• Setting up automated alerts for certain topics, keywords or researchers. I do this and get an email every time something new is published in the area.

Clearly not everyone reading your work will find it through the journal itself. I myself rarely browse a journal and instead mostly rely on method 2 to find papers relevant to my research. Even so the journal can still matter:

My experience: Ultimately the reputation of a journal can still play a part in how many people will actually read your article, no matter how researchers find it. I’ve worked with researchers who won’t read an article if they don’t recognise (or have had a bad experience with) a certain journal. This is pretty understandable with the rise of sketchy predatory journals and the numbers of journals constantly increasing, making it difficult to work out which ones even carry out solid peer-review.

One useful measure which researchers will often turn to for an initial assessment of a journal, and the papers it publishes, is impact factor.

Journal Impact Factor

What is impact factor.

The impact factor of a journal is a metric which demonstrates the number of citations that papers in the journal typically receive over a given period, usually two or five years. You can see how to calculate it over on Wikipedia .

Impact factor is a very quick way to assess journals. If the impact factor is very low, it likely means that either no one is reading the research or they don’t find it useful in progressing the field.

Papers which get cited many times indicate a lot of research activity and impact in the research community. Therefore journals which publish the kinds of paper receiving a lot of attention are indicative of high impact research.

How do you find the impact factor of a journal?

You can usually find the impact factor for a journal displayed prominently somewhere on its website. For example here is the homepage for the Journal of Orthopaedic Research :

If it’s not on the homepage, it may be on the ‘About’ page. If it’s not there I’d go back to my search engine ( Ecosia ) and likely end up finding it on Wikipedia.

What’s important to highlight is that constituents a “good” impact factor varies by research field. It’s not really appropriate to compare the impact factor of journals you’re trying to publish in with a friend if they work in a different discipline. What you can do though is compare the journal to others in the same field, which brings us on to quartiles:

Journal Quartiles

Research activity differs between fields, which plays a part in how many citations a paper will typically achieve.

My experience: I used to work in anaesthetics research. There are very few academic departments even researching anaesthetics. Looking up the impact factor of top anaesthetics journals, none look impressive because there simply isn’t much activity and therefore new papers coming out of the field!

A useful metric to judge the quality of journals is to determine which quartile a given journal sits within relative to all other journals in that field. Q1 journals mean that they’re in the top 25% highest impact for that field. Q2 journals sit between 25-50% and so on.

This means that a given journal may not appear active compared to other fields, but could actually be one of the best within your field.

How do you find out which quartile a journal sits in?

Use the SJR to compare journals in a given field. Shown below are the results for journal Marine Chemistry .

The big green box at the top shows that the journal is consistently in the top quartile across four fields:

Don’t be demoralised if even the top journals in your field have a relatively low impact factor.

What is important is that you’re trying to make your work high impact within your own field. That is what quartiles can demonstrate. You put yourself in a strong position if you’re trying to publish in Q1 journals in your field, no matter the impact factor.

My experience: When I was applying for PhDs, my soon-to-be supervisor instructed me to highlight in my application the quartiles of papers I’d co-authored. Without doing so, anyone unfamiliar with the field can’t easily assess the potential quality of the journal and therefore the potential impact of my research contribution.

Impact factor and quartiles are useful, but are not the only factors to consider.

Want your work to be highly cited? It is possible that a lower impact journal, which is highly targeted to your specialism, could get your article read by more people who are likely to build on and reference your work.

Your choice of journal will, to a certain degree, dictate the audience who will see your paper. One of the main factors to consider is the type of journal:

Specialist vs Multi-Disciplinary Journals

There are two main types of journals. The first type are journals which serve a specialist field, for example Cancer or Additive Manufacturing .

These journals will often be the obvious target for your research, particularly if you’re working neatly in one field. This means that the people who are most likely to want to implement your findings can easily find it.

Other types of journals exist which are not targeted to a certain field. These instead accept a much wider spectrum of research. Examples include: PLOS One and Nature Scientific Reports .

You could chose to publish in a multi-disciplinary journal if your work:

• Covers work across several fields and wouldn’t neatly fit into a specialised journal
• May be widely applied and would be of interest to researchers across multiple fields

Of course at the top of the tree for multi-disciplinary journals are the likes of Nature , Science and the Lancet . The work published in these journals is usually very high impact and attracts huge readerships.

Even so, your work won’t necessarily always be seen by researchers working in your area of research. This could in fact decrease potential citations if you don’t explicitly spell out the potential impact and applications of your research.

Special Issues

Every so often journals will publish Special Issues which focus on a certain topic. For example here are the recent special issues for Cell :

If you can find a special issue which relates closely to your work you’re in a great position:

• You stand a better chance than usual of it being accepted, because the editor will better appreciate your work.
• Readers will already be primed for your work since they are very interested in the sub-field. As such, special issues will usually receive a higher average number of citations compared to standard issues in the journal.

My experience: Recently I published two papers in the same special issue of a journal. The special issue theme related very closely with a lot of my PhD so was an ideal target. Do be aware that unlike with normal paper submission, you’ll be working towards a publishing deadline for that specific journal issue. If you submit your work pretty late in the publishing window (like I did), you might be working to pretty tight deadlines which can become stressful, trust me!

Just been requested to make major revisions to a paper and been given 10 days to get them done. Last time I got major revisions for a paper we had 60 days! We can ask for an extension but wondered @AcademicChatter is this short turnaround time common? — Jeff Clark (@savvy_scientist) August 10, 2020

You can find calls for special issues on the journal website or by following researchers in your field on social media.

Appropriateness of your study

This final point isn’t always as relevant as the others, but is worth considering. Effectively, the type of work you do, and associated study designs, may not always be appropriate for certain journals.

For example if you do computational modelling, even if your work is very relevant to a field perhaps you don’t have much chance publishing in a certain journal if they don’t usually accept that kind of work. In my field there is a journal that practically requires the inclusion of in vitro work for a paper to be considered.

The journal website will typically include a page detailing the kinds of topics they’ll publish:

This doesn’t necessarily tell you anything about what is acceptable in terms of methods, study design and experimentation though. For that I suggest looking at previously accepted papers. This will give a flavour of what is required to get accepted into a certain journal.

My advice for deciding where to publish your PhD research

Where are similar papers published.

If you don’t already have a journal in mind, think of the papers which relate most to your work: where were they published? The field may well have developed since then, so also look at recent related papers and see where they’re published too. These are usually great journals to consider submitting your paper to, since they publish related research.

Put together a list of potential journals

Once you’ve got an idea of potential journals, write a list in preferential order. Where would you most like your paper to be accepted?

Typically when putting together an ordered list of potential journals to submit work to, a researcher may first start with a submission to the one with the highest impact factor (typically the most prestigious) and then work their way down the list if they get rejected.

My experience: I’ve had three first author papers accepted from my PhD, and another is currently under review. Of the three which have been accepted, two were accepted at the first choice journal and the other was accepted at the second choice. The one which is still under review is at its third journal and still isn’t accepted! Try to not be afraid of rejection, and certainly don’t take it personally!

Consider aiming high

You can always try your luck at a higher impact journal than other similar papers. Even though it may be more competitive, if it doesn’t take long to try it may be worth a shot, especially if your paper can be easily adapted to fit the journal’s formatting requirements.

My experience: In my field, most of the top journals have impact factors of 3, 4 or at most 5. Earlier this year I sent something to Nature Biomedical Engineering which has a much wider scope and an impact factor of over 17. The paper was rejected but from submission the decision only took a week. This isn’t a lot of time to lose if you think your paper stands a chance of acceptance. I was disappointed but at least we could move on quickly.

Stay positive

I appreciate that working out where to publish your PhD research can be overwhelming, especially for your first paper. It is worth persevering, trust me!

In relation to prestige, if you’re working in a field where the typical impact factor of a journal isn’t particularly high, please don’t get at all discouraged if you’re tempted to compare it to friends in other disciplines. I personally know I’m unlikely to publish in any of the very highest impact journals ( with my research anyway) , but that doesn’t mean I don’t do useful research!

It’s always worth remembering that the reason we’re trying to publish is to get our research out into the world. This helps to inform further research and helps to progress the field .

Best of luck!

I hope you found this article in the publishing series useful. Next in the series we’ll be putting together a first draft. If you have any feedback please do let me know.

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