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General Information for COEHS Faculty

Overview of Criteria for Assessing Journal Quality

Why assess journal quality?

  • Professors need to make qualified decisions when selecting journals to publish their research.
  • College and University Tenture Committees use the information when evaluating quality research and publications.

Area to Assess Journal Quality

  • Indexing in Major Databases
  • Total Journal Circulations
  • Practices and Activities of the Publishers
  • Prestige and Reputation of the Journal
  • Editorial Board/Indepth Knowledge of Field
  • Peer-Review Process
  • Acceptance and Rejection Rate
  • Impact Factor/Citation Analysis

Indexing in Major Databases

Where a journal is indexed may give a clue as to its quality.  CUFTS Journal Title Search provides information for where journal titles are indexed.

Total Journal Circulations

Total circulations of a journal can be used to assess the quality of a journal. High readership and circulation could be markers of a journal's quality and/or popularity. This information may possibly be found in two different ways:

  • Circulation numbers can be often be found at the journal publisher's website.
  • Use WorldCat to discover how many libraries subscribe to a journal title.

Practices and Activities of the Publishers

When evaluating the practices and activites of the publisher, consider the following factors:

  • How do the publishers use Direct Marketing?

    • Is it appropriate and unobtrusive?

  • Criteria for Publisher's Website

    • Contact information clearly visible

    • Process and policies of the journal outlined

    • Fees or charges related to publishing in the journal are clearly stated and visible

    • Instructions to the author

  • Do the publishers adhere to a Code of Ethics?

Prestige and Reputation of the Journal

Consider the following when evaluating the prestige and reputation of the journal:

  • Organization, society, or association behind the journal

    • Know the major associations behind the field of study

    • Examine the institutions of the editorial board

    • Ask your established colleagues

  • Predatory Open-Access Journals

    • Journals that publish for money without care of the scholarship

Impact Factor/Citation Analysis

Resources for finding Impact Factor and Citation Analysis

Peer-Review Process

Evaulating the Journal's Peer-Review Process

  • The peer-review process for a journal should be stated clearly and found in the journal and/or publisher’s website.

Editorial Board/Indepth Knowledge of Field

Evaluating the Editorial Board:

  • Members are to be recognized experts in the fields that constitute the scope of the journal.

  • Journal website should provide Information for board members’ affiliations.

  • A quick Google search of the board members will provide information of their standing in the field.

Acceptance and Rejection Rate

Discovering the Acceptance and Rejection Rate:

  • May be found on the journal’s website.