Choosing a Journal

Harvard's Countway Library defines a preprint as "an early version of an academic article that has been made available by the authors to read for free online before it has been peer reviewed or published in an academic journal."

There are advantages to preprints, such as: 

• quick dissemination of research
• wider accessibility to readers
• opportunity for informal review ahead of submission to journals
• inclusion in professional and funding documents

The number of preprint servers has grown tremendously in just the last few years, so there are lots of possible sources for publishing. Also, the potential drawbacks of preprints are starting to be addressed in ways that make them more robust, such as incorporating peer review. Journals look favorably on preprints and are bringing together the best of both worlds by creating overlay journals, in which publications are hosted in a preprint server instead of a journal website.

Open Access is when there are no barriers to accessing data and publications - it is completely free and available, allowing a greater readership of the research. At Northwestern, there is a recently-announced transformative agreement with Wiley hybrid journals, Wiley gold journals, and Hindawi journals: from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025, all Northwestern community members can publish in these journals at no cost. Please also no: the Northwestern Open Access Fund closed on July 31, 2023.

How can you make your work open access after you've published?

You may be allowed to upload a version of the manuscript to a digital repository.

What do you need to know?

• If the journal allows for uploading to a digital repository
• Which version of the article can be uploaded
• If an embargo must be used (and for how long)
• The type of license (also known as a Creative Commons license) that must be applied

How do you find this information?

• Search the publisher's website for information regarding "licenses and copyright," "author rights," "green archiving," "author reuse," "self-archiving," or "open access."
• Use SherpaRomeo, a resource for finding publisher's copyright and archiving policies

Prism is Feinberg School of Medicine's openly available online repository of scholarly outputs. Prism makes it easier and faster for you to upload and share your various outputs online. Uploading your items to Prism helps to increase your digital footprint and get your research into the most influential spaces. 

To learn more, you may want to review the Prism GalterGuide.