Publishing Your Research Article

"How-to" advice

Select a Journal to Target

  • Search a database for related articles; see where they were published
  • Do a citation search in Web of Knowledge (Web of Science) to see where your issue is being discussed (search on a seminal/important article)
  • Use E-Journal Title List Subject Browse to find a list of journals in your discipline. Remember that this list includes only journals to which UW-Madison libraries subscribe in electronic format.

  • Use Ulrich’s to find out more about journals you’re considering, or to find a more complete list of journals in your subject area
    • Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory (ulrichsweb)
      • What is the journal’s scope/audience?
      • Is the journal refereed?
      • Where is the journal indexed?
      • Who is the publisher? (consider university presses, professional associations)
      • Consult Tables of Contents
      • Look at some issues (Find It button in Ulrich’s, or use "do it yourself" Find It http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.web/findit)
      • Link to journal website for Information for Authors
      • Use Advanced Search &/or follow subject links to find more journals in your field
  • Use Journal Citation Reports to identify leading journals, and to find impact factors for journals you’re considering

Manage and protect your rights when signing a contract

Selective Bibliography of Texts on Scholarly Publishing

Follow the title link to find a library copy

Blum, Deborah, Mary Knudson and Robin Marantz Henig, Eds. 2006. A field guide for science writers. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

Canter, David V. 2006. Becoming an author : advice for academics and other professionals. Maidenhead, Berkshire; New York: Open University Press.

Day, Abby. 2007. How to get research published in journals. 2nd ed. Aldershot, England; Burlington, VT: Gower.

Day, Robert A. 2006. How to write and publish a scientific paper. 6th ed. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.

Day, Robert A. 1998. How to write & publish a scientific paper [online version]. 5th ed. Phoenix, Az.: Oryx Press.

Derricourt, Robin M. 1996. An Author's guide to scholarly publishing. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.

Glatthorn, Allan A. 2002. Publish or perish--the educator's imperative: Strategies for writing effectively for your profession and your school. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.

Golden-Biddle, Karen, and Karen Locke. 2007. Composing qualitative research. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.

Gustavii, Björn. 2008. How to write and illustrate a scientific paper. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press.

Hall, George M., Ed. 2008. How to write a paper. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

Hall, George M., Ed. 2003. How to write a paper [online version]. 3rd ed. London: BMJ Books

Huff, Anne S. 1999. Writing for scholarly publication. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.

Jalongo, Mary R. 2002. Writing for publication: A practical guide for educators. Norwood, Mass.: Christopher-Gordon.

Johnson, W. Brad and Carol A. Mullen. 2007. Write to the top! How to become a prolific academic. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kitchin, Rob. 2005. The Academic's guide to publishing. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.

Luey, Beth, Ed. 2004. Revising your dissertation: Advice from leading editors. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Moxley, Joseph Michael. 1997. Writing and publishing for academic authors.  2nd ed.  Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Silverman, Franklin H. 1999. Publishing for tenure and beyond. Westport, Conn.: Praeger.

Wellington, J. J. 2003. Getting published: A guide for lecturers and researchers. London; New York: Routledge Falmer.

Woods, Peter. 2006. Successful writing for qualitative researchers. 2nd ed. London; New York: Routledge.