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Higher Degree Research - Faculty of Science and Health: Publishing

Some criteria for selecting a Journal

The following questions can be asked when deciding in which journals to publish:

  • Does your article fit within the scope of the journal? Look in your references to see if a journal is cited. Browse articles in previous issues of a journal?
  • Are articles genuinely and independently peer-reviewed?
  • Are the guidelines for authors and publisher's conditions acceptable to you?
  • What is the composition of the editorial board?
  • Is the journal highly visible online? e.g. is it listed in library catalogues such as CSU's Primo search?
  • Is the journal indexed in the key subject databases for your discipline or citation databases?
  • Are articles from the journal harvested by Google Scholar? Can you find the journal title in Google Scholar?
  • How does the journal compare to other journals in the same field, using bibliometric analysis?
  • Can a version of your research be Open Access? Does the journal allow a version of the article to be placed in the researcher's Institutional Repository, such as CRO (CSU Research Repository)?
  • Is the journal listed in Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory?

CSU library has a resource guide on Where to publish that may also be helpful and Open Access Publishing.

What to consider when publishing your thesis

Higher degree research (HDR) students or recent graduates, may receive unsolicited emails from companies offering to publish their thesis. Some of these ‘publishers’ or ‘vanity presses’, provide limited or no editorial input, eg. they don’t provide peer-review, editorial or proof-reading support, marketing or distribution of the book. They generate income by either charging up-front publishing fees, or by the sale of copies to the author.

Publishing your thesis with a ‘vanity press’ may result in:

  • the loss of Copyright to your work, restricting further publishing from your research in books, conference proceedings or journal articles
  • a poor quality publication that doesn’t meet the requirements of reporting for the internal Research Outputs Collection (ROC)
  • loss of academic credibility / reputation.

It is always recommended that you carefully research and evaluate the credibility of a publisher before accepting an offer to publish your thesis.

Watch out for rogue publishers:  some advice on publishers to avoid is available from the Australian Open Access Support Group.

Consult your supervisor and/or the Office of Research Services and Graduate Studies before making any decision.

The Library's Faculty staff can also often provide advice about publishers to avoid.

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