Researchers: Dissemination & Open Access

Different publishing outlets perform different functions.  

For example, journal papers have an ISSN, making them more discoverable and they generally attract more citations. However, delivering a paper at a conference can provide you with feedback on your research and has networking benefits.

Which journal should I publish in?

Check out the authority of the journal.  Some journals may be predatory and may not bona fide journals or publishers.  The Think, Check, Submit website provides a checklist and can ensure you are submitting to an authoritative journal that will reach the right audience.

How can I find a list of journals for my subject area?

Some subject areas may have a specific list of recommended journals, such as the Chartered Association of Business Schools Academic Journal Guide

For others, you can check journal rankings, such as Impact Factors or SCImago Journal Rankings.  These rankings extract citation data from the Web of Science and Scopus databases and rank journals according to their impact.  The journal impact online guide provides more advice on ranking systems and tools.

Publishing your datasets alongside your paper adds value to your research and can enable higher citations.

The RDM online guide provides more information.

"Open Access (OA) material is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes it possible is the internet and the consent of the author or copyright-holder" (Suber, P: A Very Brief Introduction to Open Access)

More information about open access, including funder and REF requirements, copyright and licences, depositing your research, and paying for gold open access where relevant, is available on the Open Access online guide.

DORA (De Montfort Open Research Archive) is the University's institutional publications repository. It enables publications to be made available through the Green Open Access route. It also includes the metadata (description) of non Open Access research outputs, so that individuals and groups both within and outside the University can view information about the University's research outputs.

ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every  other researcher, ensuring:

• Integration with key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, allowing for automated linkages between you and your professional activities.
• Your work is recognised and is properly attributed to you. 

The ORCID webpage provides more information and an online registration form.

The library can provide ISBN and DOI (Digital Object Identifiers) numbers for university publications.

DOIs are unique numbers assigned to some journal articles and conference papers, to create a URL directing straight to the article or conference paper.

If you want to self-publish externally to the University, then you need to obtain your own ISBNs. The ISBN Agency handles new applications.

Note that some types of publication are not eligible for an ISBN.

For more information contact Alan Cope (ext. 6391).

The Open Access licences guide provides advice on protecting your copyrights as an author of an academic publication, when dealing with publishers.