Since you can only submit to one journal at a time, it is a good idea to choose a journal to submit to before getting too far into the writing process. First, you'll want to find out whether the journal even publishes the type of article you want to write (many journals do not publish case reports, for example). Second, becoming familiar with the journal's citation style, structure, writing style, and word limits can save significant revision time. 

Here are some ways to find journals that might be a good fit:

1. Ask your colleagues. Find out what journals they read regularly--these will generally be reputable and a resource your intended audience is already familiar with.
2. Professional organization journals. Many professional organizations and societies have their own publications. If you are a member, you may receive this journal as part of your membership benefits. State and local chapters are often looking for articles for their journals and there may be less competition than there is for larger journals.
3. Journal Citation Reports. Journal Citation Reports can help you find journals in your discipline and rank them by their Impact Factor (a measure of how influential the journal is within the field based on the number of citations its articles receive).
4. EndNote Manuscript Matcher. You can use an EndNote online account (which you can sync to your WesternU-provided EndNote account when you first set it up) to access EndNote Manuscript Matcher. Enter your title, abstract, and references to receive journal suggestions and even submit directly.
5. Publisher-based journal suggesters. Some publishers, like SpringerNature and Elsevier, have their own journal suggestion tools.

Special tips for students:

• Consider starting with journals geared specifically toward students, such as Medical Student Research Journal. AMA Wire also has a list of suggestions.
• Your first publication may be a case report. Check this article and this supplemental table for lists of journals that publish case reports.
• WesternU publications like Extremitas and Humanism in the Health Sciences solicit submissions annually.

WesternU authors can now publish their articles open access at no cost in thousands of reputable journals from established publishers. This is an agreement available through the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC). The lead (or corresponding) author must be from WesternU or another participating institution (this varies by agreement) and the eligibility is automatically applied during the submission process. 

See if one of these publisher's journals could be right for you:

• Wiley Read and Publish Open Access Agreement
  • Includes over 1900 hybrid and fully OA journals
  • Participating institutions
• Springer Read and Publish Open Access Agreement
  • Includes 2068 hybrid journals
  • Does not include Nature-branded or Scientific American content
• Elsevier Read and Publish Open Access Agreement
  • Unlimited open publishing in 1806 hybrid journals
  • Limited open publishing in 685 fully OA journals (available until the cap is reached)
  • Participating institutions
• American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Journals - Subscribe to Open
  • Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
  • Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Infection and Immunity
  • Journal of Bacteriology
  • Journal of Clinical Microbiology
  • Journal of Virology

How do you know whether you can trust the journal you found to publish in? Think. Check. Submit.

Recently, the number of journals with predatory or unethical publishing practices has increased. You can increase your chances of publishing in a reputable journal by looking for quality indicators.

Remember, you can always ask for a second opinion if you're not sure. Librarians are here to help!