Correspondence Address:
Barun K Nayak
Department of Ophthalmology, Premchand Deepchand Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra
India

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Research is the foundation of progress without which science will be dead. Publication is the main source of dissemination of research. Everyone wants to publish as it helps in furthering the science as well as gives recognition to the authors. This also helps in getting promotions, especially to those who are involved in teaching. Always there is competition for publication as the space is limited in a particular journal. It has been said "Every article is publishable somewhere" hence, one has to find that somewhere for his/her article. The purpose of this editorial is to discuss the various considerations which the authors should take into account so that the chances of acceptance of the article for publication becomes high.

A good meticulous research followed by proper writing has no substitute. Authors must read the "Instructions to Authors" of a particular journal in which they want to submit their article. The subsequent paragraphs will deal with the issues which the authors must consider in selecting the journal for submission of his/her paper. [1]

The subject of your paper and the scope of a journal must match. Some journals are general journals, whereas some are highly specialized journals. Editors do consider the acceptance of articles based on the interest of the readership of the journal. A highly specialized article in a particular field will not be accepted in a general journal.

Indexing of a journal is a major concern for authors. Usually, authors have a wrong perception that we call a journal "indexed journal," only if it is indexed in PubMed. There are multiple indexing agencies, some of them are paid while others are free. If a journal is indexed with multiple agencies, it is beneficial for the authors as their article will be easily searchable. Each journal provides the list of all indexing agencies to which it has been registered.

Peer-reviewed journals are sought after journals by authors. The peer-review process adds value to the publication as it is supposed to segregate good science from the bad science. Hence, it is more difficult to publish in these journals. If you believe firmly in the quality of your work, you must opt for peer-reviewed journals. The disadvantage of peer-reviewed journals is the delay in final publication.

"Open Access" journals are a better choice as the full text of articles published are accessible to readers online without any charge. This increases the visibility of the paper which each author wants. Some of the "Open Access" journals charge money for publication. This factor also should be kept in mind.

Ease of submission process and the time taken from submission to acceptance or acceptance to publication are some of the issues which are of concern to authors. The internet and online submission have definitely made this part seamless and fast for most of the journals.

The quality of a journal is objectively assessed by an objective parameter of "Impact Factor." It is a numeric value which is defined as the total number of citations in a particular year in any journal worldwide of the articles published in preceding 2 years in that journal, divided by the total number of articles published in that journal in the preceding 2 years. [2] To elaborate it further, suppose the year in consideration is 2014 for Journal X.

A = Total number of citations in any journal in the year 2014 of the articles published in Journal X in the year 2013.

B = Total number of citations in any journal in the year 2014 of the articles published in Journal X in the year 2012.

C = Total number of articles published in Journal X in the year 2013.

D = Total number of articles published in Journal X in the year 2012.

Impact factor of Journal X for the year 2014 = (A + B)/(C + D).

The impact factor of 1.0 or above should be considered as good value for ophthalmic journals. Unfortunately, only a few Indian journals are included in the database of Science Citation Index. Hence, most of the Indian journals do not have official Impact Factor, which is published in the journal of Citation Report.

Authors should also consider the circulation of the journal as well as the readership. The research conducted on Indian population will be applicable more on Indian patients. The chances of getting appreciation from the Indian fraternity will be very high as more doctors will have access to Indian journals. Authors might be known to many Indian doctors, as well.

I am sure, these guidelines will certainly help in selecting the right journal for your publication.

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