I am blown away by how much I’m learning in my first position as a health sciences librarian. As I am coming close to finishing the research paper mentioned in the previous post, I am starting to think about where I should submit my paper for publication. So now I’m delving into the world of scholarly communication and how to select the right journal for the right project.

Luckily, there are a ton of subject guides on this very topic, and I am taking full advantage of this wealth of information. Here are some of my favorites:

• Virginia Tech – a clear and concise guide with some useful tips to selecting a journal and a collection of databases for journal publishing opportunities like Elsevier’s Journal Finder.
• Yale University – an incredibly thorough guide with 15 total tabs covering different types of impact factor, copyright, and journal directories.
• Oakland University – this guide delves into journal ethics, with some criteria to consider when selecting a journal that include evaluating publishers as well as the journal itself.

What I love is that even though I’m doing this research for my own project, the information I’m learning is going to benefit the students and faculty who I serve at my institution. Now I can apply my new knowledge of scholarly communication to their research when they come to me for help. I hope these opportunities to keep learning never stop!