LibGuides: Scholarly Publishing Resources: Non-Law Journal Submission

General Guides

9 Publishing Basics for Anyone Submitting to a Scholarly Journal
This guide from SAGE presents an easy overview of some of the major aspects of scholarly publishing, including an explanation of the length of the process and the different types of rejection and acceptance.
PhD on Track: Submitting Articles
This guide, designed for Ph.D. students, provides an overview on submitting to non-law journals, formatting the manuscript, and navigating peer review and pre-print processes.

Choosing a Non-Law Journal

Journals in fields other than law are frequently ranked according to their impact factor, a calculation based upon the number of citations to the journal over a specific period of time. There are a number of other metrics and resources used to identify relevant journals.

Journal Citation Reports
The JCR is the primary source for citation data on journals in the social sciences and sciences. Journals can be filtered and ranked by field, or compared with other specified journals.
Google Scholar Top Publications
Google Scholar ranks publications according to their h5-index and h5-median, a metric based upon the citations to a specific author. Publications can be filtered by category then sub-category.
Directory of Open Access Journals
The DOAJ provides information on open access journals in a variety of disciplines. Included are information on the peer review used, whether open access requires paying an article processing charge, and the time from submission to publication.

Avoiding Predatory Journals

Think. Check. Submit.
This easy-to-use site promotes a three-step approach to determining whether a particular publisher is reputable.
Sarah Elaine Eaton, Avoiding Predatory Journals and Questionable Conferences: A Resource Guide
Eaton's guide is the result of a review of the literature on predatory publishers, and provides a clear explanation of the traits of predatory publishers and conferences.
Understanding Predatory Publishers
This guide, from Iowa State University, describes the practice of predatory publishing and also provides tips on how to identify and deal with predatory publishers.

Peer Review

The Peer Review Process - What Happens When You Send Your Manuscript to a Journal
This webinar recording, with accompanying downloadable slides, walks an author through the process of submitting to a journal that utilizes peer review. The presenters are an editor and publisher with BioMed Central.
Parveen Azam Ali & Roger Watson, Peer Review and the Publication Process, 3 Nurs. Open 193 (2016).
This article provides an introduction to the peer review process, which is commonly used in non-law journals, including a discussion of the different types of peer review.
Tips on Writing for a Peer-Reviewed Journal
The editor of Law & Social Inquiry provides a few very practical tips on how to present your work to a peer-reviewed journal and navigate the peer review process.
A Beginner's Guide to the Peer Review Process