How To Choose A Journal For Your Interdisciplinary Research? Tips for Mechanical, Civil & Industrial Engineering Researchers

Conducting research in an interdisciplinary engineering discipline can be complicated and difficult. Finding an appropriate journal in which to publish it can prove to be even more complex. Is it better to submit a robotics engineering research study to a journal focusing on electrical engineering or information technology? What journal would be the best fit for a manufacturing engineering research paper? This article provides some tips to help you navigate the process of choosing the right journal for your interdisciplinary engineering research paper.

Common questions and challenges

The first step in identifying the best place to submit your structural or telecommunications engineering study is typically to make an extensive list of all the relevant potential journals. This list will most likely include the journals you read, ones you found during your literature search, and suggestions from mentors, supervisors, and fellow researchers; it will cover many scientific fields, such as civil and electrical engineering, architecture, and information technology.

The following are some common questions authors face when creating this list.

1. Audience – Will the journal’s readership find an industrial or civil engineering research paper useful and interesting? The audience is always the most important consideration for any author, including engineering researchers. The best way to know is to study the aims and scope of the journal and to read articles published in the journal itself.
2. Previously published research – Has the journal previously published interdisciplinary research studies in your field? This question can usually be addressed through the work done in the literature review.
3. Aims of article – Do the aims of your research article match the aims and scope of the journal? Is the journal looking for innovative research on robotics or new ways to reduce the carbon footprint of old structures?

Criteria to narrow down your potential journals’ list

Now that you’ve got a large list of potential journals to which to submit your interdisciplinary engineering research paper to, you need to determine some criteria for narrowing down that list. The following are several suggestions you may want to consider.

1. Journal aims and scope – “Reading the explicit goals and scope of the journal will tell you almost all of what you need to know about what that journal aims to achieve and what kind of articles it uses to achieve them.” Because journals are businesses, you need to understand what type of research articles will engage their readers. Are they more interested in publishing manufacturing engineering research papers focused on sustainability or efficiency? Theory or practical applications?
2. Seeking inputs from co-authors from different disciplines – This is especially important for interdisciplinary studies. If you are considering submitting your structural engineering research study to an architectural publication, you may want to check with colleagues who regularly read those types of journals.
3. Likelihood of publication – “Perhaps the single most important point in selecting a journal for manuscript submission concerns the ‘fit’ between the journal and the manuscript.” You want to avoid a lengthy review process only to have the research article rejected. Review all submission requirements carefully.
4. Publishing process – Some process aspects that need to be considered include the availability of the journal to a wide audience, open access and intellectual property issues, and the peer review procedure. Check out the helpful article that detail many aspects of choosing a journal for publication.
5. Journal impact – “Impact indicators measure the importance of a publication within a specific subject area. They make it possible to create comparisons between, and rankings of, journals in addition to measuring the relevance of each title in the subject area that it is associated with.” There are several metrics available that are designed to measure the impact of academic journals, including Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and the SCIMAGO Journal and Country Rank (SJR). Information on these and other metrics can be found in this handy resource³.
6. Trust – Ensure that the journal you chose is trusted and has a good academic reputation. Some indications of a trusted journal include transparency in the review process, guidelines, and fees, indexing in known databases, and reputation among colleagues in the field. The Think, Check, Submit website provides a comprehensive checklist for reviewing this aspect of your potential journal.

Discipline-specific differences among journals

Before making a final decision, look more closely at some of the potential discipline-specific differences among the remaining publications on your list. For example, the peer review process may be more challenging and time consuming for those disciplines that involve complicated mathematics, such as electrical and industrial engineering. Peer reviews ensure that “papers published in scientific journals answer meaningful research questions and draw accurate conclusions based on professionally executed experimentation.” The peer reviewers may check the methodology in detail in addition to the potential fit and impact of the article. Be skeptical about scientific journals that do not employ a rigorous peer review; go through some useful resources about publishing in the sciences to know more.

Predatory journals

Another consideration before you submit your article to your chosen journal is to make sure you avoid a common pitfall in today’s academic journal publishing environment: predatory journals. These are journals, usually open access, that engage in deceptive publishing practices. Some of their unethical practices include withholding information about publishing fees and providing false information about affiliations and impact factors.

Identifying an appropriate journal for submitting your interdisciplinary engineering research can be difficult, and there are many questions to consider. In addition to the challenges involved in publishing scientific research, there are the additional aspects that exist due to the integration of different disciplines. However, these challenges also broaden the opportunities to share your work with a wider audience and have a greater impact in your field. If you’re looking for expert recommendations, check out Editage’s Publication Support Services, which not only help you shortlist the best-suited journals for your research paper, but also gives you the opportunity to work with experts and prepare your manuscript for journal submission.

References

1. Wordvice. 8 tips for finding your target journal. https://blog.wordvice.com/8-tips-for-finding-your-target-journal/ (2018).
2. Knight, L.V. & Steinbach, T.A. Selecting an appropriate publication outlet: A comprehensive model of journal selection criteria for researchers in a broad range of academic disciplines. International Journal of Doctoral Studies 3 59­–79 (2008).
3. Mondragon University Library. Publications Impact Indexes. https://www.mondragon.edu/en/web/biblioteka/publications-impact-indexes [Accessed 6 March 2022].
4. Think. Check. Submit. Journals. https://thinkchecksubmit.org/journals/ (2022).
5. Kelly J, Sadeghieh T, Adeli K. Peer review in scientific publications: Benefits, critiques, & a survival guide. EJIFCC. 25 227–243 (2014).
6. University of Michigan Library. Publishing in the Sciences. https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=283300&p=1886921 [Accessed 6 March 2022].
7. Salve Regina University,McKillop Library. Predatory Journals: Home.
   https://salve.libguides.com/predatory_journals [Accessed 6 March 2022].