Publishing considerations and ORCID: Things to know before submitting your article

Are you conducting research? Do you want to share your work with the broader academic community? This lesson will cover a few things you should consider before publishing.

Learning objectives

After completing this short tutorial, you will be able to:

• Describe what a scholarly journal is and why it’s important.
• Recognize some signs of predatory publishers.
• Define what an ORCID is and the benefits of having one.

Click on the label and blinking icon in the image below to learn more about academic publishing: 

Publishing Considerations

When considering where to publish your article, explore the following four questions to evaluate the quality of a journal and click on the flashing icons to learn more.

Where should you publish?

The decision about where to publish will depend on your target audience. For example, if your target audience is researchers who conduct similar research, you may consider a reputable peer-reviewed journal in your area; however, if your target audience is community members, you may want to consider magazines or websites/blogs focusing on the topic. In any case, the quality of information shared and the reputation of the outlet should be considered.

Use the following table to determine the difference between scholarly, trade, and popular articles:

Source: https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/enc3246/article-types/

Are there costs associated with publishing?

Yes, there can be costs associated with publishing, especially in journals. For authors considering making their article open access, i.e., freely available to everyone to read and download, there is usually an additional fee (article processing charge – APC). 

How can you avoid predatory journals?

Predatory or fraudulent journals exploit authors by charging publishing fees without fulfilling promised services. These publishers often fail to conduct proper peer-review, their publications may not be indexed or registered as claimed. The following infographic provides tips on how to determine the difference between predatory and trustworthy journals.

Additional resources on predatory publishing

• Listen to UF’s podcast, “The Research Roundtable,” Episode 9: Predatory Publishing with Suzanne Stapleton (Agricultural Sciences & Digital Scholarship Librarian):

• Consider 10 Simple Rules for avoiding predatory publishing scams or
• Consider 10 Simple Rules and one advice for avoiding predatory publishing scams:
  • Be suspicious
  • Assess the journal content
  • Check for publication fees
  • Examine the journal’s peer review standards
  • Recognize the gatekeepers
  • Discover where the journal is indexed
  • Verify claims to metrics
  • Identify the publisher
  • Go beyond the lists
  • Don’t overreact 
  • Advice: Ask a librarian

Video – Watch this short video tutorial by Michelle Nolan (Chemical Sciences Librarian) to learn more about predatory publishing:

What is ORCID?

Read the following graphic and use the flashing icons to learn more about ORCID (click on the flashing icons to learn more).

Content sources:

• https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/c.php?g=733957&p=5243844
• https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/datamanagement/orcid

Practice activity