Identifying the right journal for your research: A strategic guide for early-career academics

By the time they’re hiring me to edit their article, 99% of my clients have chosen a target journal for the submission (indeed, their paper may already be under review there, as that’s usually the very best time to bring in a professional editor). But if they’ve chosen wrongly, no amount of improvements and hard work will get the paper accepted: a fundamental misalignment in contribution or scope can mean months of effort that ultimately end in rejection. 

To help business academics avoid this heartbreaking outcome, I’ve created this comprehensive guide to journal selection. You’ll notice that finding the perfect journal match for your research isn't just about impact factors—it's about strategic positioning and understanding the nuanced landscape of academic publishing. 

When to Consult This Guide

Essentially, it’s never too early to choose: many sources recommend selecting a target journal for your submission well before you’ve started writing it. This offers two main advantages:

• Less work for you down the line, as you can align your paper's length, structure, style, formatting, and many other aspects with the journal's official (and unofficial) guidelines right from the start

• Higher likelihood of acceptance, as you’re building the journal’s preferences right into your first draft. In this vein, you can write with the journal’s specific audience in mind and cite relevant papers from it to demonstrate excellent fit. 

At the same time, I don’t recommend pursuing perfection in the details like formatting and references at this stage—some flexibility is wise. After all, your paper’s direction might evolve as you write it, findings may prove less significant than anticipated, and rejection (requiring you to pivot and target a new journal) is always a possibility. 

A balanced approach is to:

1. Identify 2-3 potential target journals before writing: one top choice and two other candidates/backups

2. Write primarily targeting your first choice (but not so rigidly, e.g., that you pretty much only cite papers from that journal or put hours toward polishing small details to align with that top choice)

3. Use a reference manager (like Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley) so that switching to a new target’s formatting is as easy as one click. 

4. Remain open to switching journals if needed based on how the paper develops

Selecting Your #1 Target: Know Your Research “Identity”

Consider the characteristics of your research before diving into journal lists:

• Target audience: Who do you want to read this—scholars, practitioners, or both?

• Theoretical contribution: Does your paper build, test, or extend theory?

• Methodological approach: Did you conduct this research using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods?

• Research scope: Is this an empirical study, conceptual framework, or literature review?

• Interdisciplinary elements: Does it cross traditional business disciplines? If so, it may have unique value to certain journals or special issues.

Know Your Own Requirements

What career stage are you at? What does the coming year look like for you, both personally and professionally? How close are you to tenure review? What does your department require in terms of publications? 

All of these questions are worth considering because not every year can be a bumper crop for publications. If you suspect you only have time and energy for one article this year, that’s all the more reason to aim high (very high) when choosing a journal for that submission. Likewise, if tenure is on the horizon, you’ll want to think about balancing quality and quantity to round out your CV: consistent publications (even if they’re not in the highest-ranking journals) with a few standout “heavy hitters” seems to be the ideal, based on my clients’ experience—“because some people on the tenure committee read and others count,” as one client put it! 

Understanding Journal Tiers

The business journal landscape includes several tiers, all of which have value: don’t assume that anything other than the FT50 is a waste of your time and research. That said, the top-tier ones are undoubtedly the most valuable, in terms of impact and reputation. So even though they have lower acceptance rates, you’ll often want one of them as your first choice. 

IMPORTANT CAVEAT: Journal rankings can vary significantly depending on the ranking system used (ABS, UT Dallas, FT50, etc.) and change over time. By the time you’re reading this blog post, some of the journals listed here might have changed in ranking. It's always worth checking current rankings for your specific field and geographic region.

Making Your Shortlist

First, create your initial list of several journals by consulting journal ranking lists, checking where similar papers have been published, and asking senior colleagues for recommendations. 

Next, narrow your options by reading recent issues of those journals, reviewing their official aims/scope, and checking their acceptance rates and typical review times. You might also consider special issues at this stage, which carry their own unique benefits and challenges. (The key here is to ensure that your work genuinely fits the special issue's focus; don’t try to force a fit just for the potential advantages.) The end result of this phase should be a shortlist of 3 journals for your article.

Finally, validate your shortlist and make your top choice by discussing them with mentors or more experienced coauthors and colleagues. If you’re still stumped, you can use resources like journal finder tools and citation analysis tools, or consider reaching out to an academic writing consultant (the kind with extensive experience providing publication strategy advice). But the more articles you write, the less you’ll find yourself questioning or outsourcing your own judgment of fit: choosing the right outlet for your paper is a critical career skill that all scholars develop eventually—even if (just like writing!) it’s one that most academics receive no formal training in. 

Red Flags to Watch For

Legitimate publishers/journals are making a staggering amount of money. So unsurprisingly, other less legitimate entities have entered this highly profitable space. Predatory journals are a growing problem—one that early-career researchers are particularly vulnerable to, given the increased pressure to publish that they face.

To avoid being scammed, steer clear of journals that:

• Have unclear peer review processes

• Promise unusually fast publication times

• Charge unexpected or unclear fees

• Show poor copyediting in published articles

• Lack institutional affiliations (your school may have a blacklist that’s updated more frequently than the well-known one by librarian Jeffrey Beall, or conversely, an approved journals list)

Your Final Decision

Your final top choice of journal will reflect a balance of these factors:

• Your research quality and scope

• Likelihood of acceptance

• Review timeline

• Impact factor needs 

• Career timing and needs

• Department preferences

• Personal publication goals

• Your long-term research agenda

At the same time, personally, I’m a big believer in aiming just above where you think you can hit. In other words, don’t settle for “meh” before you’ve even tried for “WOW”; a rejection from a top journal can still carry immense benefits and if you do happen to get an opportunity to revise and resubmit? That’s the perfect time to reach out to a professional editor who’s turned countless R&Rs into acceptances (oh hey, that’s us 😊). 

Good luck and happy writing!