Factors affecting the journal choice for manuscript submission: A qualitative study on Turkish medical researchers

Tazegul G., Etçioğlu E., Emre E., Özlü C.

Journal of Information Science, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/01655515221100724
  • Journal Name: Journal of Information Science
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, FRANCIS, IBZ Online, Periodicals Index Online, ABI/INFORM, Aerospace Database, Analytical Abstracts, Applied Science & Technology Source, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, Computer & Applied Sciences, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Index Islamicus, Information Science and Technology Abstracts, INSPEC, Library and Information Science Abstracts, Library Literature and Information Science, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Metadex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Keywords: Abstracting and indexing, journal article, journal impact factor, open access publishing, qualitative research
  • Kütahya Health Sciences University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

© The Author(s) 2022.The factors that affect journal choice for manuscript submission vary, depending on the researcher’s career and field. Although several guidelines are available, information is limited on which criteria are used by Turkish authors. We aimed to evaluate the factors that affect Turkish medical researchers’ journal choice decisions using semi-structured in-depth video conference interviews. The participants identified journal prestige as the major factor, mainly Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) indexing and journal impact factor (JIF), along with acceptance and rejection rates, the age of the journal, and journal audience. Participants identified high publishing costs and mandatory paid open access policy as negative factors. Future policies on covering publishing costs institutionally would be helpful to remove obstacles during journal choice. Turkish medical researchers should be informed on using various indexes and scientometric data to better understand journal performance, rather than only SCIE and JIF.