Choosing the right journal
Ask first: do my topic, methodology and audience fit the journal’s scope? Read recent articles in the journal and check the stated review time and acceptance rate where available.
Checking scope, publisher and editorial board
- Does the publisher have a real institutional identity, address and contact details?
- Are editorial board members real and affiliated with verifiable institutions?
- Is the scope focused, or does it cover every discipline without limits?
Checking indexing
Do not rely on what the journal claims on its own site. Verify in each database’s official source: the Scopus and Web of Science source lists, DOAJ, and relevant national platforms. This website does not rank or accredit any particular journal; the competent official bodies are the reference for that.
Publication fees
Ask before submitting: are there article processing charges (APCs)? When are they charged? Are waivers available? Beware of undisclosed fees that appear after acceptance.
Peer-review policy
A serious journal states its review model (single-/double-anonymous…), its stages and typical timeline. Acceptance within days with no review reports is a warning sign.
Predatory journals and warning signs
- Insistent unsolicited emails inviting you to publish.
- Promises of very fast publication or guaranteed acceptance.
- Indexing or impact-factor claims that cannot be verified at the official source.
- A name resembling a well-known journal, or a vague all-subject scope.
- Unclear contact details or no genuine editorial board.
- Unclear fees, or fees requested only after acceptance.
The Think. Check. Submit. initiative is a helpful general checklist.
Publication ethics
Follow research integrity principles: originality, no duplicate publication, disclosure of conflicts of interest, fair authorship credit and proper citation. See the COPE guidance.
Preparing your article
- Read the full author guidelines before writing.
- Write a clear abstract and precise keywords.
- Use a consistent name and affiliation and include your ORCID iD.
- Add data availability and conflict-of-interest statements when requested.
Pre-submission checklist
- I checked the journal’s scope, publisher and editorial board.
- I verified indexing in official sources.
- I know the fees and the peer-review policy.
- I reviewed the publisher’s deposit and licence policy.
- I documented references and checked that they really exist.
- I declared any AI tools used, following the journal’s policy.
- All authors approved the final version and the author order.