[Math] How to select a journal

journalssoft-question

What are good criteria for selecting a journal to submit a paper to?

One criterion per answer, please.

It is easy to group journals by subject and prestige, but is there a thought-process that you use to determine which journal is good for your specific paper?

For example, if you have a clearly top paper, it is not hard to find a journal that will accept it (the only question is which top journal to submit it to), but do you have favorite journals for specific types of projects, papers that are not earth-shattering, or other categories of papers?

Best Answer

It's perhaps not in the spirit of Noble Academe, but increasingly I find myself looking at the editorial board for the journal. If there are people on it with whom I have actual personal professional contact (e.g. discussion at conference, or a prior exchange of work ideas) then -- other things being equal -- I'll be more likely to submit there.

(This is just for those of us whose primary concern is to aim for a decent journal but avoid the immediate "bin-as-intray". If your work is good enough, this shouldn't matter as much.)