2023 journal article

Vet the journal before you submit: turnaround times of journals publishing in zoological medicine and related fields

PEERJ COMPUTER SCIENCE, 11.

By: B. Runde n & C. Harms n

author keywords: Journal selection factors; Time of first decision; Time to acceptance; Time to publication; Transparency in review times; Turnaround time
MeSH headings : Publishing; Periodicals as Topic; Medicine
TL;DR: Evaluated 49 journals publishing papers in zoological medicine and related fields between 2017 and 2022 and aggregated and examined distributions of turnaround time of journals that publicly provided the requisite data, in order to aid authors in selecting target journals that best meet their needs. (via Semantic Scholar)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 7, 2023

Many factors influence selection of a target journal for publishing scientific papers, including “fit” within the journal’s scope, acceptance rate, readership, open access options, submission and publication costs, journal quality, and timeliness of publication. Timeliness of publication can be a critical factor affecting career development, but many journals are not transparent about turnaround times. Here we evaluated 49 journals publishing papers in zoological medicine and related fields between 2017 and 2022, and aggregated and examined distributions of turnaround time of journals that publicly provided the requisite data, in order to aid authors in selecting target journals that best meet their needs. Of 49 journals evaluated, 39 provided necessary dates for reconstructing turnaround times. Of these, median times to acceptance ranged from 37 to 338 days, and median times to publication ranged from 41 to 403.5 days. The percentage of papers published in greater than 1 year (“slow”) ranged from 0 to 57.1%, while the percentage of papers published in under 6 months (“timely”) ranged from 0.8 to 99.8%. Acceptance rates and times to first decision were available for only 22% and 20%, respectively, of journals evaluated. Results may prove useful for authors deciding where to submit their works, depending on how they prioritize the many factors involved.