Enseignement des Sciences Anatomiques / Anatomical Sciences Education

Our Scholarly Communication team is here to help you:

• Predatory publishers
• Publishing
• email : cssc@uottawa.ca

Consult also :

• Open Access
• Open publishing Services @ uO
• Copyright
• Keep your Copyright

Assess the journal

Here are some checklists that help you to assess the journal:

• Ulrich'sWeb Global Serials Directory (uOttawa resources, uO account required)
• CARL - Canadian Association of Research Libraries : https://www.carl-abrc.ca/how-to-assess-a-journal/
• DOAJ - Directory of open Access Journals:  https://doaj.org/
• COPE - Committee on Publication Ethics:  https://publicationethics.org/
• OASPA - Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association  : https://www.oaspa.org/
• AJOL -  African Journals Online : www.ajol.info/
• ICMJE -  International Committee of Medical Journal Editors : www.icmje.org/
• WAME -  World Association of Medical Editors) : www.wame.org/

Final verification ?

• Think. Check. Submit  : provides an easy-to-use checklist to which researchers can refer when they are investigating whether a journal or publisher can be trusted.  https://thinkchecksubmit.org/  
• University of Toronto: Identifying deceptive publishers a Checklist  
• Loyola Marymount University - William H. Hannon Library  : Journal Evaluation Tool 

• Université de Liège :  Pass the test !!
  • Compass to Publish : https://app.lib.uliege.be/compass-to-publish/

Assessing conferences

   Conferences also can be deceptive...

• Another tool and for more tips and resources, check out the initiative Think. Check. Attend, created to support scholars in evaluating conferences and professional events: https://thinkcheckattend.org/conference-checker/

Where to start ??

Ask your colleagues, professors or your supervisor if they can suggest some good journals for the publication of your paper - Recommendations from peers.

You have some journal titles and you want to verify their legitimacy.

*** UlrichsWeb = Journal database ***

You can query the Ulrich's Periodical Directory to identify relevant pieces of information that can help you to confirm or discard your choice

Ulrich's Periodical Directory

Find out the title and check these few points to confirm the periodical's validity:

• Does it exist ?
• Journal name ? Is it unique ? Or very similar  to another existing journal, creating some confusion
• ISSN ?
• Since when has this journal existed ??
• Distribution and access to periodical content? Is it available in full text? Is it included in the collections of databases such as Medline?PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo ??
• Is it possible to find the articles from this periodical by title and abstract ? Is it included in the collections of databases such as Medline?PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo ??

Next steps ?

You have all the checks in the directories, but the situation is still not clear!

Make a final series of checks in the databases to see if the articles published in this particular journal are retrievable, if they are reaching the scientific community, if they are visible and accessible. As a librarian, I can assure you that if a journal's articles are not indexed in one or more databases, no researcher or scientist will read them!

Good luck 😊

*** Articles indexed in traditional databases ***

Are the articles you want indexed in traditional databases ??

Because we are in medicine, health sciences, here are some databases where you should be able to find journal articles :

Medline

The Ovid platform allows you to search by ISSN or title to identify articles published in a journal.

Search tips:

• Title of the journal 
  • Type the name of the journal in the search box and click on JOURNAL above the search box
  • Using quotes for the title, type in the search box with .jn
    • ex.: "Journal of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery.".jn
• ISSN
  • Field: ISSN print version = is
  • Field: ISSN electronic version = il
  • Type the issn number, followed by .il,is
    • ex. 1916-0216.il,is.

CINALH

Search tips:

• Title of the journal
  1. Click on JN Publication in the search box (at the right)
  2. Using the title,  in the search box type:
     • ex:  palliative medicine
• ISSN
  1. Click on IS ISSN in the search box (right side)
  2. Type the number in the box

Embase

Search tips:

• Title of the journal 
  • Type the name of the journal in the search box and click on JOURNAL above the search box
  • Using quotes for the title,  in the search box type, with .jn
    • ex.: "Journal of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery.".jn
• ISSN
  • Field: ISSN print version = is
  • Field: ISSN electronic version = en
  • Type the number , followed by .en,is :
    • ex. 1916-0216.en,is.

PsycInfo

Search tips:

• Title of the journal 
  • Type the name of the journal in the search box and click on JOURNAL above the search box
  • Using quotes for the title,  in the search box type, with .jn
    • ex.: "palliative medicine.".jn
• ISSN
  • Field: ISSN print version = is
  • Field: ISSN electronic version = it
  • Type the number , followed by .is,it
    • ex. 0269-2163 .is,it.

*** Databases specialized for your fields ?? ***

Some periodicals will be indexed in highly specialized databases, such as those for Speech Therapy or Rehabilitation. Don't forget to search these databases, which are important for certain disciplines, as they may not be included in traditional databases.

Refer to your search guide to find specialized databases in your field.

Contact your librarian if you have questions.

Before submitting a publication in a journal:

• Tri-Agency OA Policy on publications
  • EN = https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/32005.html
• Government of Canada - Research funding - Open access ToolBox
  
  
  • EN = https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/interagency-research-funding/policies-and-guidelines/open-access/toolbox?OpenDocument

• Sherpa : https://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/