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A multi-objective decision-making approach to the journal submission problem
Tony E Wong1, Vivek Srikrishnan2, David Hadka3
1Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Plos One
|June 6, 2017
Summary
Researchers face complex journal submission decisions balancing citations, time, and rejections. A multi-objective framework helps identify optimal pathways, with "conditional impact factor" as a useful journal ranking heuristic.
Area of Science:
- Bibliometrics
- Scientific Publishing
- Decision Analysis
Background:
- Journal selection is a critical step for researchers, involving trade-offs between knowledge dissemination, time efficiency, and publication success.
- Conflicting objectives, such as maximizing citations versus minimizing time-to-decision and resubmissions, complicate this decision.
- Divergent preferences among co-authors can further exacerbate these trade-offs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply a multi-objective decision analytical framework to identify Pareto-optimal journal submission strategies.
- To determine journal submission pathways that balance maximizing citations, minimizing time-to-decision, and minimizing resubmissions.
- To analyze these strategies across different career stages and account for co-author preferences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a multi-objective decision analysis framework to map the Pareto front between key objectives.
- Evaluated journal submission pathways considering researcher career stages and potential co-author conflicts.
- Introduced and assessed the 'conditional impact factor' (impact factor × acceptance rate) as a heuristic for journal ranking.
Main Results:
- Identified multiple viable strategies for journal submission, dependent on researchers' risk and effort tolerance versus citation goals.
- Found that journal sequences maximizing expected citations are generally consistent across different time horizons.
- The 'conditional impact factor' proved effective in balancing effort minimization and citation maximization objectives.
Conclusions:
- A structured decision-analytic approach can help researchers navigate complex journal selection trade-offs.
- The 'conditional impact factor' offers a practical heuristic for journal evaluation.
- Explicitly representing and visualizing trade-offs aids negotiation and supports collaborative decision-making among co-authors.
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