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Writing Up and Publishing

 

The research process includes writing up your findings and publishing them. Researchers are increasingly encouraged or required to:

  • Select relevant SDGs (sustainable development goals): Aligning research with the SDGs helps demonstrate how research contributes to global sustainability goals.
  • Please choose the correct license: Researchers are encouraged to select appropriate licenses for their work, such as Creative Commons licenses, to ensure broad access and reuse while retaining specific rights.
  • Publish in open-access accredited journals. Open-access journals make research freely accessible to the public, promoting wider dissemination and increasing visibility. They also impact the ability to claim subsidies from DHET.
  • Publish in journals with a high impact factor. These journals are often seen as prestigious and can enhance the visibility and perceived importance of research.
  • Select top-ranked journals in Q1 and Q2: Researchers often aim to publish in journals ranked in their respective fields' top quartiles (q1 and q2), as these have high influence and readership.
  • Use the workflow to get published!

Systems and Tools

NWU LIS supports students and researchers in publishing articles in hybrid open-access journals, including Wiley gold open-access journals, without paying Article Processing Charges (APCs).

  • Choose the best journal for your article by following a few steps from the workflow to get it published. 
  • Authors who choose to publish in gold open-access journals through listed publishers will cover article processing charges (APCs) using their research funds and will receive a discount:
    • Taylor & Francis - APCs payable (10% discount)
    • Elsevier - APCs payable (15% discount)
    • ACS - APCs payable ($3 000, no discount)
    • Oxford - APCs payable (10% discount)
    • SAGE - APCs payable (20% discount)
    • Wiley - APCs not payable

Training Material

Where to Publish your Articles?

Deciding where to publish your research articles is a critical decision that can impact visibility, audience reach, and career advancement.  

Choosing where to publish your articles involves careful consideration of various factors to maximize the impact and visibility of your research within the academic community:

  • Consider field-specific journals in your research field that attract knowledgeable readers and reviewers. For interdisciplinary research, consider journals that welcome cross-disciplinary work.
  • Assess journal quality and reputation by reviewing journal metrics such as impact factor (IF), Eigenfactor, or SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) and Journal Citation Reports (JCR) to gauge the journal's influence in the academic community. Evaluate the rigour of the journal's peer review process for high standards.
  • Open access versus traditional journals - publish in open access journals (see also NWU Transformative agreements) to increase the visibility and accessibility of your research and avoid subscription-based journals that limit access to paying readers.
  • Explore journal indexing and databases by verifying if the journal is indexed in reputable databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ for OA journals) or others relevant to your field. Indexed journals enhance the visibility and discoverability of your research. Examples of indexing databases appear under "Approved Journal List" on the Accredited journal database.
  • Consult colleagues and advisors and follow/connect with leading researchers in your discipline.
  • Embrace open science practices by publishing in journals that align with open access, open data, and transparent peer review practices. Consider uploading your papers' preprints to preprint servers (e.g., arXiv, bioRxiv) to share your research findings early and gather feedback.
  • Evaluate publication costs and policies. For Open Access journals, inquire about APCs and whether funding is available to cover these costs. Students and researchers at NWU can publish articles in hybrid open-access journals without paying publication fees/APCs. Review the journal's copyright policies and licensing options (e.g., Creative Commons licenses) to ensure they align with your preferences for sharing and reusing your work.
  • Review submission guidelines and requirements such as formatting requirements and submission process
  • Monitor journal performance and feedback. Consider the journal's average time to publication and whether it aligns with your need for timely dissemination of your research. After publication, create communication assets for your publications, monitor reader engagement through article metrics (downloads, citations), and consider promoting your research through academic networks and social media.
  • Subscribe to Retraction Watch for updates on retracted or questionable scientific papers.
  • Use the workflow to get published.

Systems and Tools

Selecting the best journal for your article is a process that requires careful consideration.

Training Material

Emerging researchers may be interested to browse and find where NWU researchers publish their papers.

Systems and Tools

Caution! Predatory journals, regarded as deceptive or scamming, charge authors fees upfront but do not provide the promised service.

Systems and Tools

Training Material