Navigating the academic publication landscape: A guide for early career researchers

Katie Smart is the subject librarian for geosciences at the UiT university library. She came to the iC3 Polar Research Hub today to give a talk about what to look out for when publishing papers in academic journals.

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As an early career researcher, you may find yourself wondering: "Where do I publish?" 

The academic publishing landscape can be overwhelming, especially when navigating journal choices, open access requirements, and avoiding predatory publishers. This guide will help you make informed decisions about where and how to publish your research effectively.

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Step 1: Finding the right journal

One of the best ways to determine where to publish is by looking at where the leading researchers in your field are publishing. Consider these key questions:

• Where do your supervisor, principal investigator, and colleagues publish?
• What journals frequently appear in your literature reviews?
• Where do your research “competitors” publish?

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Step 2: Understanding open access requirements 

Many funding bodies now require open access (OA) publication, and UiT has its own OA policy.

There are three primary ways to publish OA:

1. Publish in a journal with a UiT-funded OA agreement – If UiT has an agreement with the publisher, the library covers the Article Processing Charges (APCs). Check the UiT Publication Portal or www.OpenScience.no for details.
2. Apply for the UiT Publication Fund – If the journal is OA but not covered by an agreement, you may be eligible for funding (note: hybrid journals are usually not covered).
3. Self-Archive Your Manuscript – If your journal doesn’t offer OA, you can deposit your Author’s Accepted Manuscript in UiT’s CRISTIN/Munin repository. UiT’s Rights Retention Strategy ensures you can share your research freely. (Contact iC3 data manager Fabio Sarti for more information and support with this.)

Tip: Consider Diamond or Platinum OA Journals, which are free to publish and free to read - ideal options for equitable research dissemination.

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Step 3: Avoiding predatory journals

Be cautious of journals that promise rapid publication or send unsolicited invitations. Signs of predatory journals include:

• Overly complimentary emails about your research
• Lack of clear editorial information or affiliations
• Suspiciously fast peer-review timelines
• High APCs without legitimate indexing

To check a journal’s legitimacy, use the Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals or the Directory of Open Access Journals.

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Step 4: Considering journal impact factors 

The journal impact factor should not be your main decision criterion.

Like many other universities, UiT now follows the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), emphasizing research quality over journal prestige.

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Step 5: Exploring preprints

Preprints allow you to share your research before formal peer review, establishing precedence and increasing visibility. 

Before uploading a preprint, check the journal’s policies, as some publishers do not accept manuscripts that have been preprinted. Also, always consult with your co-authors before posting a preprint.

Some well-known preprint servers suitable for iC3 researchers include:

• EarthArXiv (for Earth sciences)
• arXiv (for physics, computer science, and related fields)
• Springer Nature’s In Review (integrated with their submission process)

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Step 6: Making your final journal decision

If you're still unsure where to publish, try the “Reference Rule”: Count where your citations come from. The journal you cite most often is likely a good fit for your research.

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For more information, visit the UiT Publication Portal or reach out to Katie Smart at the UiT university library or iC3 data manager Fabio Sarti for guidance.

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The talk was delivered as part of iC3's support programme for early career researchers. All images taken from the slide show presented by Katie Smart. This blog was generated by ChatGPT and manually reviewed by iC3 comms prior to publication.