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GUILLERMO AND MICHÈLE DE LA DEHESA LIBRARY CATALOG
ADVANCED SEARCH EXPERT SEARCH HOW TO SEARCH

Leading Journals in Your Field
Publisher Tools
Research & Publish Guide

Selecting a Journal

First things to look for

Choosing the right journal can improve the visibility, impact, and overall success of your research. It is best to consider the following factors early in the writing process, before finalizing your manuscript, as they may affect both how you prepare it and where you submit it.

Selecting a Journal

Choosing the right journal is an important part of the publishing process. Consider the following aspects before deciding where to submit your research.

First things to look for

1. Scope and Audience
  • Make sure the journal's subject area matches your research.
  • Consider who reads the journal—specialists, practitioners, or interdisciplinary scholars.
  • Review recent articles to assess whether your research is a good fit.
  • A journal's Aims & Scope page and table of contents are good places to start.
2. Reputation and Quality
  • Check whether the journal is peer reviewed and whether its review process is clearly explained.
  • Check whether it is indexed in reputable databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, or Scopus, and whether it belongs to organizations such as COPE.

Tip: Metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor or h-index can be useful, but they should not be the only factors in your decision. Be cautious of predatory publishers and use tools such as Think. Check. Submit. to help identify legitimate journals and publishers.

3. Open Access vs. Subscription
  • Find out whether the journal is open access, hybrid, or subscription-based.
  • Check whether it charges article processing charges (APCs).
  • Check whether the journal is indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
  • Review the copyright and Creative Commons licence options offered by the journal.
4. Practical Considerations
  • Review the word limit, formatting requirements, and whether the journal accepts your methodology or disciplinary focus.
  • Consider the review and publication timelines, especially since most journals allow submission to only one outlet at a time. Make sure the journal's timeline fits your plans.
  • If your research is funded, check whether open access publication is required or encouraged by the funder.

Tip: If you need further information about a particular journal's policies, check its Information for Authors or equivalent author guidelines page.

5. Ethical Considerations
  • Do not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.
  • If you have used AI in your paper, review the journal's policies on AI use, authorship, and conflicts of interest.
  • Clearly document authorship contributions. The CRediT Taxonomy can help clarify each author's role.
  • Check the journal's policies carefully before submission.
6. IMPORTANT – Open Access Requirements

Remember that publications arising from projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Knowledge Generation Projects) or the European Commission (Horizon Europe) must comply with the funder's Open Access requirements to be reported as official project outputs.

Before signing any publishing agreement, ensure that the publisher allows the immediate deposit of the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) in the IE University Institutional Repository with no embargo period.

This requirement applies to both Open Access and subscription journals, regardless of the journal's ranking or publishing model.

To learn more about Open Access, visit our Open Access & APCs page .

Identifying Leading Journals in Your Field

You may be asked to find articles published in highly ranked journals, but journal rankings can be confusing. In general, these rankings are based on how often articles in a journal are cited by other researchers.

 

It is important to remember that a journal’s ranking does not determine the quality of every article it publishes. A strong article can appear in a lower-ranked journal, and a weak article can appear in a top-ranked one.

 

Common journal evaluation tools include:

Publisher tools to find relevant journals

Many publishers feature tools to help researchers find journals in their field that might fit their manuscript. Those tools usually use titles, keywords and abstracts to match the intended manuscript to possible journals.

 

Some publishers will also provide acceptance rates, handling times and the costs of Open Access. 

 

Peer Review

Peer review is the process by which scholarly work is evaluated by experts in the same field before publication. Its purpose is to assess the quality, validity, originality, and significance of research, helping to ensure that published work meets academic standards.

Researchers, reviewers, editors, and readers all play a role in ensuring that peer review is conducted fairly, transparently, and ethically. While peer review practices vary across disciplines and publishers, the NISO Standard for Peer Review Terminology identifies four key areas in which review models may differ:

  • Identity transparency: The degree to which the identities of authors, reviewers, and editors are disclosed, ranging from fully open review to fully anonymous review.
  • Reviewer interactions: Whether reviewers communicate only with editors or also interact with authors and other reviewers during the review process.
  • Publication of review information: The extent to which peer review materials are made public, such as reviewer reports, reviewer identities, editor identities, or author responses.
  • Post-publication commenting: Whether discussion and review can continue after publication, either openly or by invitation.
1. The Peer Review Process

Although approaches may vary between publishers and disciplines, the peer review process generally follows a common sequence:

  1. After submission, the editor checks the manuscript for obvious issues and sends it to a panel of expert peer reviewers.
  2. Reviewers evaluate the suitability of the work for publication and may suggest corrections or revisions. The manuscript is then returned to the author through the editor.
  3. The author may withdraw the manuscript, submit it elsewhere, or make the requested changes and resubmit it. The revised manuscript may then be returned to the reviewers. This process can continue through several rounds and may take months or even years.
  4. Once the reviewers and editor are satisfied with the final version, the manuscript is accepted and prepared for publication.
2. How can I know if it is peer reviewed?

Peer review is commonly used for scholarly journals reporting research findings and methodologies, but it can also be applied to books, reports, and conference proceedings.

To check whether a resource has undergone peer review:

  • Scholarly journals: Check the journal's peer review policy, usually available in its submission or author guidelines.
  • Monographs: Check the publication's foreword or introductory material for information about peer review or editorial processes.
  • Reports and conference proceedings: Check the publisher's or conference website for information about the review process.

You can find peer-reviewed works in the IE Library Catalogue using the Advanced Search function.

3. Types of Peer Review

Single-Blind Review

  • Reviewers know the identity of the authors.
  • Authors do not know the identity of the reviewers.

Double-Blind Review

  • Neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities.
  • This model aims to reduce potential bias during the review process.

Open Review

  • Authors and reviewers know each other's identities.
  • Promotes transparency and accountability in the review process.
4. What Do Peer Reviewers Evaluate?

Validity

  • Is the research approach appropriate?
  • Are the methods, study design, and analysis suitable for addressing the research question?
  • Do the findings support the conclusions?

Originality and Significance

  • Does the study contribute new knowledge or perspectives?
  • Is the research question relevant and meaningful?
  • Does the work advance or challenge existing scholarship?

Journal Standards

  • Does the article align with the journal's scope, quality requirements, and editorial standards?
5. Peer Review Resources

Ethical guidelines for peer reviewers – This resource from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides guidance on the role and responsibilities of peer reviewers, including key principles for conducting peer review ethically and responsibly.

PREDATORY JOURNALS

Predatory journals, also called fraudulent, deceptive, or pseudo-journals are publications that claim to be legitimate scholarly journals but misrepresent their publishing practices. Some common forms of predatory publishing practices include falsely claiming to provide peer review, hiding information about Article Processing Charges (APCs), misrepresenting members of the journal’s editorial board, and other violations of copyright or scholarly ethics. Because of their increasing prevalence, this article aims to provide helpful information for authors on how to identify and avoid predatory journals. 

 

Learn here how to identify predatory journals.

 

Some index where you can search which journals or publishers are predatory or not: 

Research & Publish Guide

Research Basics
1. Plan Your Research

Taking time to plan your research can help you develop a more effective search strategy, as well as aiding the identification of more relevant information resources throughout your investigation.

Understanding your topic

After identifying your research topic, you can start searching for information to inform your work, allowing you to compile background information about your chosen topic.

At the IEU Library, you have two main options for searching for information:

Each database has different content. It is therefore advisable to search several databases to make sure you do not miss a key paper on your topic. If you are unsure where to search, the Selected resources for your study page will help you find the most relevant databases.

Defining search terms: keywords and phrases

The first step of the research process revolves around identifying the topic of your research. Your chosen topic will determine which keywords you need to use to find relevant information in the next phase of your research. In this step, it is important to establish the language and terminology that will identify the most effective sources of information for your work.

2. Finding Information
2.1. Where can I find information?

At the IEU Library, you have two main options for searching for information, as well as Ask-ademIA, an exclusive AI research assistant:

The Worldwide catalog provides access to nearly 10 million resources, including books, academic articles, journals, videos, and other materials in both electronic and print formats.

Some tips for getting the best results:

  • If you know the author, title, or ISBN, enter it directly into the search box for precise results.
  • If you are searching by topic, start with broad keywords and then refine your search using more specific terms or synonyms.
  • Use Advanced Search to combine different fields such as Author, Title, Keywords, or Publication Date. This allows for more precise and focused results.
  • Log into your Library Profile to save results, create reading lists, and revisit your searches later without losing progress.
2.2. How can I find information?

Search techniques

To conduct your research, there are several techniques you can follow to find accurate information relevant to your topic. It is advised to use the relevant keywords you have identified while developing your research topic.

Boolean operators

Boolean logic allows you to link your search terms in specific ways using the operators AND, OR, and NOT.

  • AND combines different keywords, retrieving results where both subjects are covered. It narrows your search.
    Example: “mental health” AND healthcare – retrieves results containing both terms.
  • OR combines different synonyms for the same keyword, retrieving results that contain any of the selected terms. It broadens your search.
    Example: “mental health” OR healthcare – retrieves results containing “mental health”, healthcare, or both.
  • NOT retrieves results containing the first keyword while excluding those containing the second.
    Example: “mental health” NOT healthcare – retrieves results containing “mental health” while excluding those containing healthcare.

Phrase search

Phrase searching allows you to retrieve results containing a specific phrase, ensuring that the selected words appear next to each other in the specified order.

To conduct a phrase search, place the phrase inside quotation marks.

Example: “media coverage”

Truncation

Truncation allows you to search for terms that share a common root, retrieving multiple variants of the same word simultaneously.

Write the root of the word followed by the truncation symbol, commonly an asterisk (*) or exclamation mark (!).

Example: Opt* could retrieve Optics, Optometry, Opticians, etc.

Nested searches

Nested searches allow you to create more complex search strings by grouping related concepts, often using brackets or parentheses.

{"mental health" AND (university OR college) AND student*} NOT "social media"

This search retrieves results dealing with mental health among university students while excluding results that mention social media.

The following techniques have been combined:

  • Truncation: includes different word endings.
  • Quotation marks: retrieve specific phrases.
  • OR: retrieves synonyms or alternative terms.
  • AND: combines different concepts.
  • Brackets and parentheses: group concepts through nesting.

Citation search

A citation search involves examining an article's references and citations to find relevant information in a particular field.

A citation search can help you:

  • Track the evolution and impact of a topic over time.
  • Identify relevant articles within a discipline.
  • Find alternative concepts, arguments, or keywords for your research.
  • Build a bibliography of relevant publications for your topic.
2.3. How can I keep up with new information?

Alerts

Most databases that index academic journals allow users to create email alerts for new publications on specific topics. Once an alert is set up, you will receive regular notifications with articles matching your search criteria, helping you stay up to date without having to repeat the same search manually.

Many platforms also offer alerts for particular authors or journals, making it easier to follow leading researchers and key publications in your field. In most cases, creating these alerts requires a personal account with the database or publisher.

Citation Alerts

Citation alerts are another effective way to keep track of new research developments. Many databases allow you to receive notifications whenever a specific article is cited in a new publication. This can help you identify emerging research connected to your topic and discover additional relevant literature.

Table of Contents (TOC) Alerts

TOC alerts notify you whenever a new issue of a selected journal is published, allowing you to keep up with the latest articles in your area of research.

Press Alerts

You can also create alerts or subscribe to newsletters to receive up-to-date press information.

The IE Library provides access to press resources such as Factiva and PressReader, which provide access to thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world, as well as resources such as The Economist, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review.

3. Evaluate & Manage Sources

General Evaluation Checklist

What questions should I ask...

3.1. ...Information Sources?
  • Purpose and scope – What is the aim of the resource and who is its intended audience?
  • Authority and credibility – Who is the author, publisher, or organization responsible for the content? What are their qualifications and expertise?
  • Accuracy and relevance – Is the information reliable, current, and appropriate for your research needs?
  • Organization and usability – Is the content clearly structured, easy to navigate, and well presented?
  • Objectivity and bias – Does the source present a balanced perspective, or is there evidence of bias?
  • Verifiability – Can the information be supported or confirmed through other reliable sources?
3.2. ...Websites?

Authority and Credibility

  • What type of domain is it? (e.g., .edu, .gov, .org, .com)
  • Is information about the organization, author, or publisher provided?

Accuracy and Evidence

  • Are sources, references, or supporting evidence provided?
  • Can the information be verified through other reputable sources?

Purpose and Objectivity

  • What is the purpose of the website? For example, is it intended to inform or persuade?
  • Does the content present a balanced perspective, or is there evidence of bias?

Relevance and Suitability

  • Is the information appropriate for your research purpose and audience?
  • Is the content current and regularly updated?

AI-Generated Content

  • Is the source transparent about the use of AI?
  • Is the training data publicly available, proprietary, or unknown?
  • Are claims supported by verifiable sources and evidence?
3.3. ...Your Search Results?
  • What types of sources have been retrieved?
  • How well do the results address your research question or information need?
  • How does the search system interpret and prioritize your query?
  • Would adjusting your keywords, filters, or search strategy improve the results?
  • Is the number of results manageable, or do you need to broaden or narrow your search?
4. Managing Information

One of the key research skills is managing and organizing the information you use, so you can keep track of your sources and find them again easily. It is also important to use information ethically and responsibly by citing sources correctly, respecting copyright, and avoiding plagiarism.

To successfully manage the information you have compiled for your research, you should be aware of the following points:

  • How to cite references to avoid plagiarism.
  • Understanding copyright.
  • How to use reference management software.

You can find more information about all these points on our How to Cite page.

Publishing Strategy Guide

Publishing Strategy Guide

Here you can find some tips and guidance for each step of the publishing process.

1. FIND
  • Find collaborators: ORCID, Web of Science, and Scopus provide tools to set up researcher profiles. Search these platforms to find other researchers by name or area of expertise.
  • Check your Open Access options.
  • Make sure your research data are FAIR and check your Data Management Plan (DMP).
  • Keep your ORCID and affiliations updated and easily available in ORCID, Web of Science, and Scopus.
Think

Choose the right publication venue for your research.

1. Selecting a research source

Choosing a publication venue early in the research process can help you plan your research and prepare your manuscript according to the journal or publisher's requirements.

Benefits include:

  • Saving time by understanding submission and manuscript requirements in advance.
  • Improving suitability by ensuring your research aligns with the journal's scope and expectations.
  • Planning publishing costs by giving you more time to identify funding options, if needed.

2. Developing your publishing plan

a. Identifying your audience

Who is your target audience?

Consider who will be interested in or benefit from your research. This may include researchers, professionals, industry, policymakers, or the wider community.

Where does your audience find and share research? Consider journals, books, conference proceedings, or other relevant channels. Your literature review and reference list can help identify suitable publication venues.

Does your research need to be Open Access to effectively reach your target audience?

Where is your target audience located? Consider the countries or regions where your research is most relevant and the languages your intended audience uses. This may influence your choice of publication venue and language.

b. Define your purpose

Why are you publishing?

Consider the purpose and goals of your research:

  • Who could benefit from or build on your findings?
  • Does your research address an important problem or provide a new solution?
  • What are your intended publishing outcomes, such as academic recognition, citations, career progression, or future funding?
  • Does your research require ethics approval?

What impact could your research have?

Think beyond publication and consider the academic or real-world change your research could contribute to.

  • Could it influence research, policy, industry, society, health, culture, the economy, or the environment?
  • Could it contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
  • What evidence could demonstrate this impact or change?

c. Decide where to publish

Before choosing a publication venue, check any funder, institutional, or quality requirements that may affect where and how you publish.

  • Open Access: Do you need to publish immediately Open Access, use a specific licence, or meet other funder requirements?
  • Journal quality: Does the journal need to meet specific quality or ranking criteria?
  • Publishing costs: Are there APCs or other fees? Check whether funding or an IE University Transformative Agreement is available.
  • Publishing timeline: Consider submission deadlines, publication speed, and whether you are open to transferring your manuscript to another journal.
  • Research data: If applicable, plan how your data and code will be managed, deposited, and cited.

Publications funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Knowledge Generation Projects) or the European Commission (Horizon Europe) must comply with the funder's Open Access requirements. Before signing a publishing agreement, confirm that your chosen journal allows the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) to be deposited immediately in the IE University Institutional Repository without an embargo.

3. Find scholarly publishing outlets

Quality indicators

Consider the quality, visibility, and standing of a journal when choosing where to publish. Different metrics can help you compare journals within your field:

  • CiteScore: measures the citation impact of journals and other serial publications indexed in Scopus. Its percentile and subject ranking can help you compare publications within the same field.
  • SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): measures journal influence based on both the number of citations received and the prestige of the journals providing those citations.
  • Journal Citation Reports (JCR): provides journal-level metrics, including the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and rankings by subject category.

Remember that no single metric provides a complete measure of journal quality. Consider these indicators alongside factors such as relevance, audience, reputation, and publishing requirements.

Scholarly Sources Tools

Scopus Sources – Elsevier
Search and compare journals indexed in Scopus using metrics such as CiteScore, SJR, and quartiles. You can also filter sources by subject area, publisher, and other criteria.

JournalFinder – Elsevier
Find Elsevier journals that may be suitable for your manuscript. Enter your title and abstract and select your research field to receive journal suggestions that match your research topic.

Journal Citation Reports (JCR) – Clarivate
Search and compare journals using metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF), Journal Citation Indicator (JCI), and JIF Quartiles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
Search for peer-reviewed Open Access journals across disciplines. DOAJ provides information on journals' Open Access policies, licences, APCs, and other publishing practices.

Pre-selecting Publication Venues

Start identifying potential journals early in the writing process so you have time to compare your options and choose the best fit for your research.

To build your shortlist:

  • Look at journals you frequently read and cite.
  • Identify where researchers in your field publish.
  • Search by keywords and subject areas to discover relevant journals.
  • Compare journals using CiteScore, SJR, JIF, and subject rankings.
  • Consider how well each journal's scope and audience match your research.

Once you have a shortlist, compare your options based on the factors that matter most for your publishing goals and requirements.

Check

Check which quality publishing source will maximise your work's scholarly impact.

1. Aim and scope

Check the journal's aims and scope, usually available under About the Journal, Aims and Scope, or Instructions for Authors.

  • Make sure your research matches the journal's subject area and target audience.
  • Check whether the journal has recently published articles similar to yours.

2. Quality Publishing Sources

Is the journal peer reviewed?

Check the journal or publisher's website to confirm that articles undergo peer review.

Is the journal indexed in reputable databases?

Check whether the journal is indexed in major multidisciplinary or discipline-specific databases.

  • Scopus
  • Web of Science
  • DOAJ for Open Access journals

How does the journal perform within its field?

  • Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and JIF Quartile – available through Journal Citation Reports (JCR).
  • CiteScore – available through Scopus.
  • SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) and SJR Quartile – available through SCImago.

Metrics should be considered alongside other factors, such as the journal's scope, audience, reputation, peer-review practices, and relevance to your research.

3. Publisher Reputation and Credibility

Is it a trusted journal, publisher, or conference?

Before submitting your research, check that you are dealing with a legitimate and reputable publishing outlet.

  • Use Think. Check. Submit. to assess journals, publishers, books, and book chapters.
  • Consider the journal or publisher's reputation within your research field and seek advice from experienced colleagues when necessary.
  • Be cautious of predatory journals and conferences, particularly those using unsolicited invitations, unclear fees, misleading claims, or unrealistic peer-review and publication times.

If you are unsure about a journal, publisher, or conference, contact the Library before submitting your work.

4. Information for authors

Do the journal's terms and conditions meet your needs?

Before submitting, review the journal's Instructions for Authors and publishing policies. Check:

  • Eligible article types and submission requirements.
  • Policies on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and preprints.
  • Author identification requirements, such as institutional affiliation, institutional email, and ORCID iD.
  • Any specific conditions for publishing through an IE University Transformative Agreement.

Does the journal fit your publishing timeframe and budget?

  • Consider the journal's publication frequency and estimated peer-review and publication times.
  • Where available, acceptance rates may provide additional context, but they should not be used as a measure of journal quality.
  • Check all potential publication costs before submitting, including Article Processing Charges (APCs), submission fees, page charges, or other additional costs.

Can you meet your Open Access requirements?

Before submitting or signing a publishing agreement, check:

  • Which Creative Commons licences are available and what rights you retain.
  • Whether the journal allows Gold or Green Open Access.
  • Which version can be deposited in a repository: the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) or Version of Record (VoR).
  • Whether an embargo period applies to repository deposit.
  • Whether the policy meets any Open Access requirements from your funder.
2. SUBMIT
  • Review your author agreement and manage your copyright.
  • Use keywords that will improve your research's discoverability.
  • Keep an open and clear communication with publishers throughout the submission process.
Before You Submit

Follow the journal's author guidelines

Make sure your manuscript meets the journal's requirements for structure, formatting, referencing, word count, figures, and file types.

Choose effective keywords

Select clear, relevant terms that reflect your research and are commonly used in your field. Consider the terminology your intended audience is likely to search for and follow the journal's guidance on keywords.

Prepare your research data

If you are sharing data associated with the publication, include the dataset DOI or persistent identifier where required and ensure that sharing is consistent with your Data Management Plan.

Check third-party material

Make sure you have permission to reproduce any copyrighted images, figures, tables, or other third-party content included in your manuscript.

Prepare your cover letter

If required, write a concise cover letter explaining the relevance of your research and why it is a good fit for the journal.

Prepare your files

Check that you have all required manuscript files, figures, supplementary materials, declarations, and other documentation in the formats requested by the journal.

Respond carefully to revisions

If you receive a revise and resubmit decision, address reviewers' comments clearly and thoroughly and submit your revision within the requested timeframe.

Tips
  • Follow the publisher's author instructions carefully to ensure a smooth submission workflow.
  • Make sure your Researcher Profiles, such as ORCID, Scopus, and Web of Science IDs, have been created, connected, and updated regularly.
  • Make sure you have listed your institutional affiliation correctly. The correct name should be IE University, although Scopus also contemplates IE Universidad.
  • Check that the correct funder name, project number, and required funding acknowledgement are included before submission.
3. PUBLISH IN THE IE REPOSITORY

Uploading your work to the IE Repository allows you to:

  • Get credit for your research.
  • Promote and showcase your research.
  • Meet the requirements of Open Access compliance and institutional reporting.
  • Keep track of your research metrics.

Check publisher policies to confirm which version may be shared and whether an embargo applies. The Open Policy Finder provides information on permitted manuscript versions, embargo periods, and self-archiving conditions.

If you used a dataset as part of your publication, the Library can help you create a record to describe and deposit your dataset into the IE Repository. The Library can also mint a DOI for your dataset, which can be used to cite it.

4. PROMOTE

Promoting your research will strengthen your research profile, increasing the outreach and visibility of your work and promoting its engagement and citations.

This step will also allow you to provide additional context to your research, broadening the audience that will connect with it.

Improve Your Visibility

Create and maintain an ORCID iD

Include your ORCID iD when submitting your research.

Connect your researcher profiles

Connect your profiles, such as ORCID, Scopus Author ID, and Web of Science Researcher Profile, where possible.

Use clear, relevant terms

Use clear, relevant terms in your title, abstract, and keywords to improve the discoverability of your research.

Use a consistent author name and institutional affiliation

Use a consistent author name and institutional affiliation across all your publications. The correct affiliation should be IE University, although Scopus also contemplates IE Universidad.

Check publisher policies

Check the publisher's embargo and communication policies before promoting research that is under review or awaiting publication.

5. TRACK

Keep up to date

Stay informed about new research and developments in your field by setting up alerts and following relevant academic sources.

  • Set up search, author, and citation alerts in research databases.
  • Subscribe to journal Table of Contents (ToC) alerts and RSS feeds.
  • Follow relevant conferences, seminars, and academic events.
  • Subscribe to trusted newsletters, blogs, and e-bulletins.
  • Join relevant scholarly networks and academic communities.

Most major databases and publishers offer free alerting services, allowing you to receive automatic updates when new research matching your interests is published.