More than 2.5 million scientific articles are published every year in more than 30,000 peer-reviewed journals. So it's important to choose journals wisely! 

What to consider when choosing a journal

• Is the peer-reviewed process transparent and rigorous?
• Are the editorial board members respected figures of the field?
• Are your colleagues and supervisors familiars with the journal and his reputation?
• Is it indexed in major databases (Scopus, Web of Science or DOAJ for Open access journals) ?
• Are open access and self-archiving policies transparent?
• What are the copyright policies?

Journal suggestion tools

• EndNote Manuscript Matcher (this tool uses your manuscript's topic and references to suggest good matches from within the Web of Science database)
• Elsevier Journal Finder (based on keywords in your manuscript's title and abstract, this tool will suggest journals suitable for publishing your article)
• Springer Journal Suggester (Multi-disciplinary journals in Springer and BioMed Central)
• Wiley journal Explorer Tool (this tool helps to compare journal scopes to ensure you reach the right audience with key information, like Impact Factor, open access options, data sharing, and ORCID policies)
• Journal Guide (helps authors evaluate journals in terms of scope, quality, and impact. Useful if you don't know where to submit your paper)
• Enago Open Access Journal Finder (enter your manuscript abstract to help you shortlist trusted OA journals that are the most compatible with your research. Relies on the Directory of Open Access Journals to get legitimate journals)

Other tools for assessing journals

• Think.Check.Submit (a checklist to assess whether a journal is trusted)
• Quality Open Access Market (a qualitative evaluation by the scientific community with the creation of a Journal Score Card for each title calculated according to the opinions expressed)
• Compass To Publish (a series of questions to assess the authenticity of a journal)
• B!SON (a tool for finding the right open access journal)

Source: The University of Manchester Library

Choosing the most appropriate publisher for a book you are intending to write will determine how many people read your work and wether you reach the right audience. Before contacting a specific publisher you should check some key informations.

What to consider when choosing a book publisher?

• Is the publisher well known and prestigious in your field?
• How many titles have been published in your field? 
• Are their books widely distributed and reasonably priced?
• What is the peer review process?
• Are they offering an open access option?
• What are the copyright policies?
• What is the marketing plan?

How to submit a proposal?

Before contacting the publisher of your choice, you will have to provide some informations:

• Short presentation of your book
• Description of the intended readership and the specificity in the market
• Table of contents with chapter headings
• Timeline
• Approximate number of pages 
• Description of other materials (images, graphs, etc.)
   

Source: The University of Manchester Library

"Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices." (Grudniewicz et al., 2019)

They take advantage of the pressure researchers are under to publish. They often contact researchers by email offering to publish their research for a substantial fee without the traditional services provided by reputable publishers such as editing, peer-review, archiving, etc. 

Example of a typical email from a predatory journal

How to identify predatory publishers

                                                                                              UNESCO Open Science Toolkit

Useful tools

• Think Check Submit (a checklist for identifying trusted journals)
• Think Check Submit - Book Publishers (for book and book chapters)
• Think Check Attend (for conferences)

Delphine LERECULEUR

delphine.lereculeur@sciencespo.fr
+33 (0)1-45-49-53-14
   

@Research Library every Wednesday from 1.30 to 4.30pm

There are a number of different types of peer-review:

• Single blind: the reviewers know you are the author, but you don't know who is reviewing your article
• Double blind: the reviewers don't know who authored the article, and you are unaware of who is reviewing the article
• Open review: the reviewers know who wrote the article, and you are aware of who is reviewing

More information

Multiple versions of articles are available to readers at different stages of the publishing cycle. This nomenclature has been recommended by NISO (National Information Standards Organization):

• AO = Author’s Original
• SMUR = Submitted Manuscript Under Review
• AM = Accepted Manuscript
• P = Proof
• VoR = Version of Record
• CVoR = Corrected Version of Record
• EVoR = Enhanced Version of Record

Be aware that publishing your thesis as a book will require a significant amount of work. Publishers will expect you to rewrite and restrucure your work for a new audience. 

Remember to ask for the jury's agreement beforehand.

Once you have chosen your publisher, prepare your proposal by accompanying it with a description of your thesis and an argument explaining the target audience and the specificity of your work

Some publisher's advice:

• Elsevier
• Palgrave MacMillan
• Routledge
• Taylor & Francis

The OA Books Toolkit helps authors to better understand open access book publishing. It has been launched by OAPEN Foundation, a non-profit organisation that works with publishers to build a quality control collection of open access books throuht the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). You will find articles, key definitions and a useful FAQ (OA landscape, publishing options, funding, copyright, etc).