Skip to Main Content
Researcher Skills Toolkit

Strategic Publishing

Adopting a strategic approach when planning where to publish and promote your research is essential to ensure that you maximise the reach and impact of your publications.

 

In this video University of Newcastle Library staff discuss strategies for publishing research outputs.
When planning your publication strategy, consider the following: 
Questions to ask Description

Who is your intended audience?

Your audience may include fellow researchers, specialists and professionals in your field, researchers in other disciplines, industry partners, educators, or the public – anyone who will benefit from your research. You might want to consider publishing or promotion in non-academic sources to ensure you reach a broader audience. 
Where have key researchers within your discipline published?

Search a discipline-specific database in your area and note the journal titles or publishers commonly used. 
Are there particular publishing conventions in your discipline area? In some disciplines, conference papers are not considered a priority publication type, but in other disciplines, they are commonly used. If you are uncertain, seek advice from fellow researchers or colleagues in your discipline area.
Is it important that your research is published quickly, with short turnaround times for peer review, acceptance, and online availability?  Check the Publication timeliness page of this Module for more information.
Are you publishing research resulting from a grant? If so, what expectations are included in the grant rules in terms of publishing open access? 
Have you considered publishing your research open access?

Do you have funding available in case the journal has article processing charges (APCs) or other charges? Check the Open access publishing page of this Module for more information.
Ensure you submit your publications to reputable publishers, or peer-reviewed academic journals or conferences, which target your specific discipline.

Talk with your colleagues or supervisor about key publishers and journals.

Check the Predatory publishing page of this Module for more information.
More information

Why you need a publishing strategy - This blog by Tress Academic, provides 6 reasons and benefits to having a publishing strategy. 

University of Newcastle authors should also be aware of the following policies and guidelines relating to publishing research outputs:

Policy or Guideline Description
Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2008)

Published by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Code establishes a framework for responsible research conduct that provides a foundation for high-quality research, credibility, and community trust in the research endeavour. 

Also check: 
Research Authorship Procedure

This procedure: 

  1. applies to all research outputs 
  2. details the criteria and protocols for acknowledging research authorship and seeks to recognise the restrictions associated with commercial publication, and 
  3. details pathways for resolving any conflict that may arise because of the attribution of research authorship.
Research Publication Responsibility Guideline  Supports and reinforces the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and the University of Newcastle’s (UON) Responsible Conduct of Research Policy and should be read in conjunction with those documents. 
Copyright Compliance Guidelines  University of Newcastle guidelines that support the Copyright Compliance Policy.
Open Access Guideline Supports and promotes the dissemination of research findings in an international open-access environment through the lodgement of the information describing a research output, (e.g., author, title, keywords, date (metadata) and/or post-print publications) into NOVA, the University's institutional repository.
Responsible Conduct of Research Policy

This policy: 

  1. establishes how the University and its Researchers and staff will comply with the requirements of the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research including the governance and management arrangements for research at the University; 
  2. seeks to minimise risk and protect the interests of the University, Researchers, and staff when engaging in research activities; and 
  3. seeks to protect research participants, maintain animal welfare, and protect the environment. 
Research Data and Primary Management Procedure

This procedure: 

  1. applies to all research data and primary materials generated by University Researchers; and  

  1. details the responsibilities of the University and University Researchers in research data and primary materials ownership, access, and management. 
Previous Page   Next Page