Q: Should I include some articles published in the target journal as a reference?

While it is not mandatory to include articles published in the target journal, you can cite 2-3 relevant articles that have been recently published in the target journal. Sometimes, journals bring out special issues or supplementary issues with specific themes or topics that could align with your manuscript. It would be good to include 1-2 articles from such issues to create a better impact in the target journal.

However, the peer-review process will not be affected by the inclusion or non-inclusion of articles from target journals; but reviewers might suggest some of these articles. Peer-review is based on the quality and contents of the manuscript. Always look out for high citation articles in your target journal; chances are that they might have a higher impact/significance due to the nature of the research presented in them. If your topic is compatible with such articles, you could always cite them to enhance the validity of your results.

Related reading:

• What to do if the EiC wants me to cite some articles that are not relevant to my study?
•  How to identify coercive citation requests from an editor
• How to deal with coercive citation: A case study
• How an author can deal effectively with coercive citation requests