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University of Sunderland Library

Open Research and Scholarly Communications

Understanding Open Access, using SURE, and support for academic publishing

Choosing where to publish

Choosing where to publish your research is an important part of the publication process. Several factors might influence your choice:

  • What is the nature of your output (book, primary research article, review article, lay summary...)
  • Where do other researchers publish?
  • Is there an obvious route to publish Open Access (either Green, Gold or Diamond)?
  • What are the requirements of your funder?
  • What are the requirements of your institution?
  • What are the requirements of the REF?

These and other factors can influence your choice of where to publish. The University of Sunderland, through its Open Access mandate, the REF (rules for 2028 to be announced), and most funders, are requiring Open Access publications. Publishing Open Access has the potential to make your research more impactful. Make sure you consider Open Access from the outset rather than as an afterthought.

Be mindful that the University of Sunderland is a signatory of DORA and, as such, does not endorse the use of Journal Impact Factor as a deciding factor when choosing a publication venue.

Assess journal or publisher quality

Once you have decided on the format of your publication, you need to consider carefully where you want to publish. Making sure your research is published via a trusted outlet is crucial and helps sustain the credibility and trustworthiness of research. 

Watch the animated video below for some tips on assessing the quality of publishers and publications.