Where Should I Send This Manuscript?

Abstract

In my academic role as an Associate Dean for Research, both novice and experienced faculty and student authors seek my advice on selecting a target journal for a manuscript. As an editor, I am also asked by authors whether or not a manuscript on a particular topic is appropriate for Research and Theory for Nursing Practice. If the authors I am in contact with are asking such questions, I imagine that their needs for information are similar to many among the readers of RTNP. So, here is some of the advice that I find myself offering repeatedly. The best time to select a target journal is prior to writing a manuscript, when the author is still planning the article. The main considerations that I take into account when selecting a target journal for an article that I want to write include the audience that I want to reach and the message that I want to deliver. Although selecting a journal in advance of actually writing a manuscript does take some time and effort, it can also save a lot of both because it allows an author to focus on journals with a high likelihood of interest in the planned manuscript and to write to a specific set of guidelines from the start. Knowing who you want to reach is the first step in narrowing the range of journals to target. Yet surprisingly, many would-be authors seem to give little thought to the nature of the audience. Scientists, clinicians, educators, and administrators vary immensely as audiences, even when they are within the same discipline. Further, knowing whether one is targeting readers from a specific discipline or an interdisciplinary group will give some direction; so will a decision on whether the manuscript will speak to specialists or generalists with interest in the topic. The health care consumer audience represents another realm entirely. Every journal has a target audience either explicitly identified or implied in its mission statement. Once a target audience is determined, begin journal selection by generating a list of five to seven candidate journals that are aimed at it. If an author is unfamiliar with the literature directed toward the target audience, seeking assistance from a medical librarian can save much time and effort in ferreting out relevant journals. The second step in selecting a target journal is to prioritize the list of candidate journals. Gaining familiarity with each journal on the list aids in prioritization. Several strategies can be used. Reviewing the table of contents for each journal over the last 12 to 18 months will reveal whether and how often your topic has been recently covered in the journal and what particular aspect was addressed. If the topic has been covered, that does not necessarily eliminate the journal as a target. Rather, it confirms that you are in the right ball park. On the other hand, if several articles on the topic have appeared in this time period, an editor may be less likely to select another on the topic, other considerations being equal. If the topic has not been covered but the journal clearly aims at the target audience, a query to the editor as to the suitability of the topic may be wise. …