Q: Is the acceptance of a research paper affected if the author is not affiliated to an organization?

Your question is understandable. In fact, we have received similar questions earlier, which you will find at the end of this response. Also, your question touches upon two themes, bias and rejection. So, we will respond to them separately.

To begin, you are perhaps apprehensive of a bias by journals (including editors and reviewers) against manuscripts submitted by independent researchers. Unfortunately, in some cases, biases do seem to exist. However, by and large, journals and everyone involved in the manuscript review and publication process strive for a fair review and decision on the paper. The only difference seems to be that your paper will likely go through a tougher review process, as independent researchers are often found to be a bit lax on the methodological and ethical aspects of the paper. However, we believe this can only be good for the paper, as it will result in a paper that is scientifically robust.

Now, journals reject papers for a variety of reasons, not all of which are based on the quality of the paper. They may reject papers due to the large volume of submissions, limitations of space, or a desire to feature papers around trending topics. However, in most cases, they accept papers for the cornerstones of a solid paper: novelty of the study, quality of the writing, soundness of methodology, and overall, clear thinking and analysis. Of course, there also needs to be a match with the focus area of the journal. If not, but they like your paper, they are likely to refer you to a related journal (from the same publisher).

Finally, even as an independent researcher, you can seek to further your academic credentials. An accepted paper can lead not just to possible citations, but also to invitations for peer review, co-authoring, collaboration, or a guest faculty role. So, you should not let these apprehensions affect you and instead put your energies in planning, writing, and submitting a great paper, which will hopefully get accepted after due diligence. All the best!

Similar questions:

• Does the author's profile influence the outcome of a manuscript?
• Would my being an independent researcher diminish the value of my work?