You’ve finally finished your manuscript—hooray! 🎉🥂 Champagne pops in the background. BiblioJo does a celebratory trumpet riff.
Now, where and how do you publish it?
What’s your top priority?
[[Reach the widest audience (open access)|OA Goals]]
[[Publish in a specific journal (prestige matters)|Prestige Path]]
[[Avoid paying publishing fees (budget's tight)|Diamond Dig]]
🔍 Explore more:
|[[Why OA?|OA Impact Tip]] | [[Article Versions]] You want people to give people equitable access to your work—no paywalls, no restrictions.
Need help finding a good journal for your manuscript? Try these trusted tools:
- [DOAJ – Directory of Open Access Journals](https://doaj.org ) 🟢
Browse fully open access journals by subject or keyword.
- [JANE – Journal/Author Name Estimator](https://jane.biosemantics.org/ ) 🧬
Paste your abstract to find biomedical journals that publish similar work.
- [Enago Journal Finder](https://www.enago.com/researcher-hub/journal-finder.htm )
Uses your abstract and field to recommend journals (registration may be required).
- 🧭 Check individual **publisher websites** for journal scopes and author instructions.
💡 Just because a tool recommends a journal doesn't mean it's a perfect fit—**always double-check the journal’s aims, scope, fees, and peer review process.**
[[Submit to a journal listed in DOAJ|Check APCs]]
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🔍 Explore more:
[[Prestige Journals|Prestige Path]] | [[Avoid Fees|Avoid Fees]] [[Support Hub|Support Hub]]The journal is fully open access... but they charge an Article Processing Charge (APC). You’ll need to pay to publish.
Do you have funding?
✅ **If yes...**
- Your **grant** might cover it.
- Your **library** might help! At Western Libraries, we contribute to **transformative agreements** through OCUL and [CRKN](https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca ). That means *some journals are free to publish in*—no APCs for you, because licensing fees are already paid.
🗂️ Wondering which journals are covered?
Check our [OA Support fancy spreadsheet] ( https://www.lib.uwo.ca/scholarship/oasupport.html ) – searchable by journal name or discipline. Discounts and full APC coverage included!
✅ **If no...**
- Go back and consider a **Diamond OA** journal—open access *and* no fees.
- AND look for **Green OA** options where you can deposit your Accepted Manuscript in a repository.
[[Green Win]]
[[Explore Diamond OA options|Diamond Dig]]
🔍 Explore more:
[[Support Hub|Support Hub]]You discover a journal that’s fully open access *and* free to publish in! 🥳 It's part of the diamond OA landscape—funded by libraries, consortia, or societies.
You submit, and your article is accepted. Congratulations, scholar! You’ve published open access with no fees to you or your readers.
What else can I do to boost my paper?
Because you hold the copyright (it wasn’t transferred to the publisher), you’re free to share your article in other places—like your institutional repository 🏛️. Doing so can boost your readership 📈 and maybe even your citation count ✨.
🔍 Explore more:
| [[Support Hub]] | [[Play again?|Start]] You’ve got a target journal in mind—one your mentor loves and everyone in your field reads. But it’s not open access by default.
You check the journal's policies using [Jisc's Open Policy Finder](https://openpolicyfinder.jisc.ac.uk) and learn that:
[[You can choose to make it open by paying an APC(Subscription hybrid OA)|Check APCs]]
🔍 Check the [Western Libraries Journal Finder](https://www.lib.uwo.ca/scholarship/journal_finder.html) to see if your journal is covered.
This tool helps you identify journals with APC discounts or waivers available to Western-affiliated authors.
[[You can deposit your Accepted Manuscript in a repository (Green OA)|Green Win]]
[[You cannot share at all – rethink your journal? 😬|Start]]
💌 Still confused? Just email [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca) and we’ll help you sort it out.
🔍 Explore more:
[[Support Hub]]
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You publish in your target journal and upload the Accepted Manuscript (AAM) to your institution’s repository. It’s free, legal, and discoverable! 🎉
Here's how:
- 📥 Deposit your AAM in [Western Scholaris](https://scholaris.ca), our institutional repository.
- 🧭 Not sure what version you can share? Try [ShareYourPaper.org](https://shareyourpaper.org)—it checks publisher policies for you.
- 📖 You can also look up journal policies using [Jisc's Open Policy Finder](https://openpolicyfinder.jisc.ac.uk) or the journal’s own website (check under 'self-archiving').
- 💌 Still confused? Just email [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca) and we’ll help you sort it out.
Green Open Access FTW! 🎉
🤔 Wait, what's an Accepted Manuscript? [[Article Versions]]
🔍 Explore more:
[[Support Hub]] You use grant money (its an allowable budget expense) to cover the APC. Your article is published fully open access and is available to readers around the world.
Success!
[[Deposit & Share|Deposit & Share]]
[[Avoid Fees]]
🔍 Explore more:
[[Support Hub]] Your article is published! 📣 Now let’s help readers find it:
Which version can I share? it depends [[Article Versions|Article Versions]]
- Deposit in a repository:
- [Western Scholaris](https://scholaris.ca) *(formerly Scholarship@Western)*
- [arXiv](https://arxiv.org), [PubMed Central](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/)
- Use [ShareYourPaper.org](https://shareyourpaper.org) to upload legally and check your sharing rights
- Need help? Email [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca) – your librarian squad awaits.
- Link the DOI! Even if it's closed, links are freeto share on social media sites.
📈 [[Why go open access?|OA Impact Tip]]
🔍 Explore more:
| [[Support Hub]]
<<back "⬅️ Go back">>📈 Open access articles have a citation advantage
[Piwowar H, Priem J, Larivière V, Alperin JP, Matthias L, Norlander B, Farley A, West J, Haustein S. 2018. The state of OA: a large-scale analysis of the prevalence and impact of Open Access articles. PeerJ 6:e4375 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4375]
🌍 They also support the **UN Sustainable Development Goals** by improving global access to research.
[[Cool—take me back|Deposit & Share]]
<<back "⬅️ Go back">>🚨 You’re deep into the publishing jungle when a flashy journal appears...
"Publish in 48 hours!" it cries. "Just $499 (USD)!" 🤑
Before you hit *Submit*, a friendly librarian in stylish red glasses zips in, trumpet slung over her shoulder. 🎺
**BiblioJo whispers:**
"That journal's got more red flags than a marching band. Let’s take a closer look."
🚩 **How to Spot a Predatory Publisher**
❗ **Red Flags (aka the 'Tells'):**
1. **Aggressive Email Solicitation**
_“Dear esteemed researcher, we read your excellent paper in [journal you never published in]...”_
2. **No Peer Review or Unrealistically Fast Turnaround**
📅 Peer review in 2 days? That’s not how real science works.
3. **Vague or Missing Editorial Board**
👀 Can you *verify* the names and affiliations? If not, beware.
4. **Poor Website Quality**
🖥️ Typos, broken links, blurry logos = 🚫
5. **Hidden or Dodgy APCs**
💸 Surprise charges after acceptance = classic predatory move.
6. **Dubious Indexing Claims**
🔍 Always verify indexing in Scopus, DOAJ, or Web of Science.
7. **Fake Impact Factors**
📈 “Global Impact Factor 97” is not a real metric. Look for trusted sources.
8. **Low-Quality or Irrelevant Content**
📝 Shallow, unrelated articles are a red flag.
✅ **What to Look For:**
- Indexed in [DOAJ](https://doaj.org), [Scopus](https://www.scopus.com), or [Web of Science](https://mjl.clarivate.com/)
- Transparent peer-review and ethical policies
- Recognized publisher (university press, Springer, etc.)
- Clear or no APCs (💎 hello, Diamond OA!)
💡 **Pro Tip:**
Ask your librarian at [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca)—they can help vet journals using Cabells, Ulrichsweb, and pure librarian instinct.
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You're hoping to avoid paying out-of-pocket. Totally fair!
There are a few ways this can happen:
- 💎 **Diamond Open Access journals**: Free to read *and* free to publish. (Check [DOAJ](https://doaj.org))
- 🧾 **Hybrid journals**: You can publish without paying *if* you deposit your Accepted Manuscript (AAM) in a repository like Western's [Scholaris](https://scholaris.ca) (formerly Scholarship@Western).
- 🤝 **Transformative Agreements**: Western Libraries pays into publishing deals via [CRKN](https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca) that cover your APCs for select journals.
📊 Check our [fancy spreadsheet](https://www.lib.uwo.ca/scholarship/oasupport.html) to find which journals offer discounts or full APC coverage—searchable by name or discipline.
📥 Still not sure? Forward your AAM to [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca) and we’ll help you figure it out.
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🔍 Explore more:
[[Support Hub]]
🧪 **What’s a Preprint?**
A preprint is a version of your article shared **before peer review**. It lets others see and cite your work early.
✅ Usually allowed—but **check your target journal's policy** first. Some don’t allow prior posting.
🔎 Find subject-based preprint repositories:
- [arXiv.org](https://arxiv.org) (physics, math, CS)
- [bioRxiv.org](https://biorxiv.org) (biology)
- [SocArXiv.org](https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/) (social sciences)
for a big list of repos see; [COAR](https://doapr.coar-repositories.org/)
💡 When in doubt, ask your librarian at [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca).
<<back "⬅️ Return to your quest">>:: Sharing on Social Media Sites
You might be tempted to share your article on ResearchGate or Academia.edu 📣—and hey, more eyes on your work is a win, right?
✅ If you’re allowed to share the full text (check your publishing agreement!); If you hold the copyright, you’re typically free to share it wherever you like.
Which version of my paper an I share? [[Article Versions]]
⚠️ But here’s the catch: these platforms do not meet open access requirements, especially those set by funders ❌🔓. They’re commercial, collect your data 🕵️♀️💾, and may sell it to third parties. Plus, your content isn’t guaranteed to remain accessible long-term ⏳🗃️.
💡 For *real* open access, use trusted repositories—like your institutional repository or a subject-specific archive. They’re free, stable, and built to support scholarship 📚💜.
[[Back to your quest|Start]]
🔍 Explore more:
[[Support Hub]]
<<back "⬅️ Go back">>:: Manuscript Versions
When it comes to open access, **which version** of your article you share matters a lot! Here’s a quick breakdown:
📄 **Submitted Manuscript** (a.k.a. Preprint)
- This is the version you initially send to a journal.
- ❗ Not peer reviewed.
- ✅ Often shareable, especially in preprint archives. Always check your journal’s policy.
📝 **Accepted Manuscript** (a.k.a. Postprint or AAM)
- This is the version that has been peer reviewed and accepted, but before publisher formatting.
- ✅ Can usually be shared in a repository, like Scholarship @Westerrn / Scholaris, after an embargo period.
- 🧭 Use [ShareYourPaper.org](https://shareyourpaper.org) or check [Jisc's Open Policy Finder](https://openpolicyfinder.jisc.ac.uk) to find out your rights.
🖨️ **Version of Record** (VoR)
- This is the final published version with journal formatting and typesetting.
- ❌ Usually not shareable unless published open access.
💡 When in doubt, check your author agreement—or email [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca) for help!
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So you’re publishing open access—amazing! 🌟 But now the journal asks: “Which Creative Commons license do you want to apply?”
💡 TL;DR: **CC BY is the most open and funder-friendly.**
Here’s how to choose:
🧰 Use the [Creative Commons License Chooser](https://creativecommons.org/choose/) to explore options and generate license text.
📌 Some publishers (like Elsevier) **require specific licenses** for self-archiving or AAM sharing. Always check your publisher’s open access or self-archiving policy page for details. They may limit which licenses are permitted depending on the version or route to OA.
🔓 **CC BY** (Attribution)
- ✅ Anyone can use, remix, and build on your work—even commercially—as long as they credit you.
- 📢 Most open access funders require this license.
🛠️ **CC BY-SA** (Attribution–ShareAlike)
- Like CC BY, but adaptations must be shared under the same license.
- 👯 Good if you want to encourage open reuse.
🚫 **CC BY-ND** (No Derivatives)
- Others can share but *not modify* your work.
- ⚠️ Not considered fully open by many funders.
💰 **CC BY-NC** (NonCommercial)
- No commercial use allowed without permission.
- ⚠️ Also not considered fully open by most funders.
📌 If you’re unsure, check your funder’s or journal’s requirements, or contact [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca) for guidance.
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:: Support Hub
Looking for extra info or tips? Here are a few librarian-approved shortcuts:
📄 [[Which version can I share?|Article Versions]]
📜 [[Creative Commons License options|Creative Commons Licensing]]
📥 [[Where to deposit and share your article|Deposit & Share]]
🧪 [[What’s a preprint?|Preprint Tip]]
📣 [[What about ResearchGate and Academia.edu?|Social media sites?]]
[[ORCID and Your Research Profile]]
[[Predatory Pitfall ]]
Need help? No worries, we've got your back !
Email [rsclib@uwo.ca](mailto:rsclib@uwo.ca) – your librarian squad awaits.
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:: ORCID and Your Research Profile
Have an ORCID iD? You should! 🎯
✅ ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers—even those with the same name.
🔗 Linking your publications, affiliations, and grants to your ORCID profile makes it easier for systems like funders, publishers, and repositories to track and credit your work.
It can save you time and effort when loading your mansucript into pubisher websites.
📢 Bonus: A complete ORCID profile boosts your research visibility and improves discoverability across platforms.
Create or update your iD at [https://orcid.org](https://orcid.org) and remember to affiliate it to Western when prompted.
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