Medical Laboratory Science: Evaluating Journals

Journal Citation Reports collects information about many different journals across all academic fields. It includes information about where the journal is published, its citation metrics (including impact factor), and how many of its articles are published open access, which means the articles are free and accessible to everyone. Follow the instructions below to use Journal Citation Reports.

1. At the library's A-Z Database list, click on Journal Citation Reports.

2. In the search box, search for and click on the category Medical Laboratory Technology.

3. Click on the title of any journal to find out more about its impact factor, open access policies, and more.

To learn more about using Journal Citation Reports, watch Briggs Library's Journal Citation Reports videos:

Below are some ideas for finding a potential journal to publish a paper in:

• Look at your own citations. In your paper or practice case study, look to see if there are certain journals that you cite multiple times. That may be a good indicator that that journal is related to your research.
• Find a journal's directions for authors. Many journals include information for authors on their website. This information will let you know what kinds of articles the journal publishes, any requirements for length or citation style, and much more. If you're having trouble finding a journal's directions for authors, ask a librarian for assistance.
• Use a journal generator. Elsevier Journal Finder, Springer Nature Suggester, and Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE) are all journal generators. Input the title and abstract of your paper to get suggestions of journals that may publish it.

A journal's impact factor is a measure of how many times the journal's recent articles have been cited by other researchers. It is often used to explain the value, reach, and prestige of a journal, although many say the metric is flawed and not an accurate measure of a journal's credibility or importance.

Researchers may use a journal's impact factor to decide whether or not to try to publish an article in that journal. Researchers also use impact factor to measure the reach of their research.

Predatory journals are journals that accept and publish articles without putting them through a peer review or vetting process. They also often charge authors large amounts of money to publish in their journals. Predatory journals are usually (but not always) NOT included in library databases, but they can be included in Google or Google Scholar searches. The resources below will help you identify predatory journals: