Scholarly publishing is often one of the final steps of the research process. Research teams must decide which journal(s) to target for publication, which models of publication to pursue, and how to evaluate journals and models. Below are some resources we've curated to help researchers navigate the world of scholarly publishing.
On July 1st, 2025, The NIH Public Access Policy went into effect. This policy requires that all government-funded research accepted for publication on or after July 1st, 2025, be immediately submitted to PubMed Central and to be made available to the public without the previous one year embargo from the date of publication.
Read more about this new policy on the NIH's Public Access Policy Overview webpage.
In traditional publishing models, published content is made available to readers through a paid subscription or individual article purchase. This tried-and-true method of publication has a few drawbacks: subscription costs are high and continuously increasing, and reach is limited to institutions with subscriptions. In contrast, open access publication models provide access to content freely online. This is often supported in part by article processing/publication feeds paid by authors, institutions, and/or funders. The model benefits readers by increasing their access to content, but does raise concerns about varying quality of peer review, predatory journals, and a shift in responsibility for costs.
The NEOMED Library has secured agreements with OA publishers to cover OA authors' fees (APC) at no cost to NEOMED corresponding authors publishing eligible articles in eligible journals. Visit the NEOMED Library's Open Access Publishing page for more information.
There are a variety of models of OA publication. The models differ in costs, type of publication, and access to content. Below are three of the most common models:
The quality of a journal is an important point of consideration when publishing your research. There are several factors to consider when making your decision:
One popular tool for evaluating a journal is the THINK. CHECK. SUBMIT. tool. Use this checklist to evaluate the journal you are targeting for publication.
The Impact Factor is a tool that researchers and institutions frequently use to evaluate a journal. The Impact Factor, calculated and shared by Clarivate, is the ratio between the number of times the journal's articles were cited over a two year period to how many articles were available to be cited in the journal. The ratio is intended to demonstrate journal quality - a higher proportion of citations to available articles is considered an indicator of quality. Researchers can investigate the Impact Factor of a journal by visiting Clarivate's searchable Journal of Citation Reports.
While the Impact Factor of a journal is often considered a mark of prestige, it does face criticism. Researchers have questioned whether the prestige surrounding a journal's Impact Factor may lead to journals prioritizing the selection of articles that will be highly cited, in turn encouraging researchers to pursue topics that are more likely to yield publication. As a result, while you may wish to consider factoring the Impact Factor into your publication decisions, it should only be one piece of the puzzle, not the end-all-be-all.
Peer review is the process of evaluating the quality and potential scientific contribution of a manuscript submitted for publication. Reviewers are experts in the field and examine the manuscript to pass a recommendation (either to publish or reject the submission) on to the journal's editor. The specific process, including reviewer selection and conducting the review itself, depend on the practices of each journal and/or publisher. Be sure to fully read and understand the policies of your target journal before submitting your manuscript.
Status as a peer-reviewed journal is one way to assess the quality of a journal. Similarly, appearing in a peer-reviewed journal is one factor that can help a reader gauge an article's quality. As a result, it's important to ensure that you submit your article to a respected, peer-reviewed journal.