The UI Libraries Scholarly Impact department provides workshops, consultations, and resources related to "increasing public access to information."

This includes information on copyright, open access, the publication process, metrics, and more. 

Contact the Scholarly Impact department at: 

lib-impact@uiowa.edu

There are many reasons why librarians choose to publish: to gain tenure, for a job promotion, to enhance a resume, or to contribute ideas to their professional field. As a SLIS student, academic publishing can help improve your writing, connect you with other students and professionals in the field, create a record of your research, and provide valuable intellectual and professional experience. 

Listed below are key terms and overall concepts to be aware of as you look into publishing:

• Research topic: every journal has different subject topics. An important aspect of publishing is finding a journal that matches your manuscript topic. Always check the journal's Aim and Scope page to see if the journal aligns with your manuscript.
• Impact factor: measures how frequently the average article in a selected journal has been cited in the last year or two. Impact factor can be helpful in determining how relevant a journal is in your field. Search for a specific journal's impact factor in the Journal Citation Reports.
• Acceptance rate: refers to the percentage of manuscripts that are accepted for publication.
• Timeline: find out how often the journal publishes and how that matches your timeline if you are looking to publish before graduation or starting a job. 
• Manuscript types: scholarly writing comes in different formats such as literature reviews, case studies, conceptual papers, etc.
• Format guidelines: each journal will have different format guidelines concerning the document format, font, references, paragraphs, and supporting data like charts or images.
• Open Access: distributes scholarly content to the reader without the barrier of fees. Sometimes open access journals charge the author a fee to publish, know as Article Processing Charges (APCs).
• Copyright: a type of intellectual property right that protects original work. Most academic journals issue "author publishing agreements" which means that the author retains copyright but but allows the journal to be the exclusive license and publisher of the work. 
• Creative Commons License: each journal publishes under different licenses. Many open access journals publish under Creative Commons License (CCL), which give everyone from individual creators to large institutions a standardized way to grant the public permission to use their creative work under copyright law. 
• Subscription journals: Unlike open access journals, subscription journals can only be read by people or institutions that subscribe and pay for their content
• Predatory journals:  be wary of journals that are guilty of fraudulent or deceptive practices. Predatory journals often have no peer review process and promise the author immediate payment upon manuscript submission, resulting in low quality and duplicated scholarship. If you have questions concerning predatory journals, reach out to the Scholarly Communications department at lib-impact@uiowa.edu.
  • Some examples of fraudulent practices include:
    • the journal promises peer review turnaround time of only a week or two (or less!).
    • there is no mention of copy-editing.
    • the journal website has very few articles per issue.
    • the journal is overly broad in scope (i.e., the Iowa Journal of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Public Health).
    • the publisher publishes many journals, started at the same time or who all have the same editor.
    • the website says the journal is open access gives little or vague information on fees.
    • there are typos and grammar issues on the website.
    • there is no physical address or phone number for the publisher.
    • false editorial boards
    • no review process
    • a promise of publication if the author pays a fee
    • violating copyright laws
    • aggressively targeting authors for manuscripts through email

 Adapted from Scholarly Publishing in the Health Sciences guide. 

• Peer review: many scholarly journals are peer reviewed, meaning that each manuscript submitted is read and reviewed by experts in the field. Each journal will have a different review process in order to validate research, make sure to consult the journal’s guidelines on their website to gain more information. See the chart below for a visual representation of the peer review process:

This image is an adaptation of Types of Review by Jessica Lange from McGill Library and the University of Calgary and is used under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 International license.

Think. Check. Submit:

• When choosing a journal to submit to, follow the Think. Check. Submit. guidelines to determine if the publication is the right fit. Follow the checklist below to ensure you are submitting your manuscript to a trusted journal: 

  • Do you or your colleagues know the journal? 

  • Can you easily identify and contact the publisher? 

  • Is the journal clear about the type of peer review it uses? 

  • Are articles indexed and/or archived in dedicated services? 

  • Is it clear what fees will be charged? 

  • Are guidelines provided for authors on the publisher website? 

  • Is the publisher a member of a recognized industry initiative? 

The Publication Process:

1. Ensure your manuscript follows the format requirements by checking the submission guidelines on the publisher's website.
2. Submit your manuscript. Keep in mind that you can only submit a manuscript to one journal at a time due to ethical reasons. This is why choosing a journal to submit to is a commitment.  
3. Usually, your manuscript will be returned with revisions. Peer-reviewed feedback will contain a lot of revisions. Take it as a learning experience. Make the edits and resubmit. 
4. If you are rejected, look for other journals to submit to. Keep in mind that each journal will have different layout requirements, citations styles, etc. Always refer to the journal’s website.  
5. Lastly, it is good practice to have a support group to meet with and give each other feedback and guidance. Consider joining or creating a group with other students.  

National University Webinar, June 27, 2024:  "As scholars, we all engage with peer-reviewed publications, but few of us know how an article becomes peer-reviewed and ends up in a database. Both National University librarians, Tammy Ivins and Dan Johnston will lift the lid on scholarly publishing to help you understand more about the scholarly communication process, what publishers want, how bibliometrics impact scholarly communication, and how you can best navigate this landscape."

There are many ways to find scholarly journals to publish in:

• Ask: One way is to ask your instructors and find out where they and other LIS students are publishing. Many people begin their publishing journey by getting involved in a paper that is being written by a professor or academic who has already published. This method allows students to understand what the publishing process is like under a more experienced author. It is recommended to talk to your professors and advisors about publishing opportunities to see if there is a paper topic you would be interested in joining. 
• Browse: Another way to find a journal is organically. Pay attention to where an article or paper you are reading comes from. Depending on where you are accessing the paper, there will usually be a link to the journal website. Look for a tab for “Publish," “Authors” or "Submission Guidelines" to find information on how to publish. See example below: