Q: Is it better to publish in a low impact factor journal compared to a society journal with no impact factor?
Which is better: publishing in a low impact factor (<0.5) journal (SCI expanded, Scopus indexed) or publishing in a journal with no impact factor (Scopus, Emerging Sources Citation indexed) by a professional association or society?
In recent years, the impact factor has come under considerable criticism for its limitations, and the academic research community is trying to shift its focus from the impact factor when evaluating a journal. However, many universities/institutes still lay emphasis on the impact factor. Considering this, publishing in a SCI-indexed journal with an impact factor (even a low impact factor) might be better than publishing in other journals that may only be indexed in SCOPUS or ESCI and carry no impact factors.
However, having said that, it is also more difficult to publish in an SCI-indexed journal with an impact factor than in journals without an impact factor. Please consider the quality and novelty of your research as well as that accepted by the journals you are considering before deciding on where your manuscript is likely to be positively received.
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This content belongs to the Journal Selection Stage