Greetings, this is Emily, and I'd like to welcome you to this uni-edit video. I have already published one or two papers. Should I publish my next paper in the same journal? There are no rules against publishing multiple papers in the same journal. There are no rules against publishing multiple papers in the same journal and it is perfectly acceptable and common, as long as the journal accepts each paper. Journals treat each research paper independently, for the most part. so just because you've published an earlier related paper in a journal does not mean that the journal will necessarily accept your next paper. Publishing future papers on different topics in a journal in which you already have published is also common and acceptable. Determine your Audience The first step to publishing a paper is determining the audience for your research. This means your target journal should reflect the type of readership your paper aims to reach. Further, within academia diversifying the types and fields of media in which you appear is a good strategy to improve your profile and recognition. Therefore, it is beneficial to publish in different journals to reach a broader readership. However, journals will also be less likely to accept a paper on a similar topic to a previously published paper if some or much of the content or scope overlaps with that previous paper. Journals generally try to avoid publishing papers that repeat ideas that they've already published. Novelty is a a critical component for successful publication regardless of the journal. Same topic but different perspective or approach: try a different journal. For example, your research project may be exploring the impact of more efficient energy-saving technology on household energy budgets in urban areas. The first paper may be on current energy-saving technology implemented in urban areas and highlighting where new technology is most needed. This paper would most likely be a review paper and is therefore most suitable to a broad readership interested in sustainability, such as renewable and sustainable energy reviews or environmental innovation and societal transitions.

The second paper could propose a new design for such a technology such as high-capacity solar panels and test its performance and cost savings in dense urban areas this could be either a technical or an applied paper, and thus may not have the scope required for the a journal that accepts the previous paper. It might, therefore, be better suited to a methods based or applied journal such as progress in photovoltaics research and applications or solar energy materials and solar cells. Practical example for life sciences. Within the life sciences, one common exception to publishing sequential papers in the same journal is when the research has multiple complementary results that weren't splitting the paper into two papers. This may be a recommendation when there's too much relevant content for one standard paper. Sometimes peer reviewers may make this kind of recommendation. For example, your paper might explore changes in bird and plant species composition as a result of climate change. The first paper could examine changes in plant species composition in particular. Whereas, the second paper could explore the knock-on effects of these changes on bird species composition in the same ecosystem. Under these circumstances, a journal like Global Change Biology or Ecology may well be interested in publishing both papers and may choose to do so within the same volume or issue as part of a series on that topic. However, a journal with a narrower scope like the Journal of Ecology or Ibis would probably only be interested in publishing one of these papers. Practical example for Social Sciences For those pursuing research-based careers with a broad focus it is often advisable to publish in a variety of journals. However, for those whose research covers a very small niche or has a very specific focus, it is acceptable to publish in the same journal or a small variety of journals, as this will improve the chances that the research will be read by the intended audience.

For example, if your field is medical economics, but your specific focus is pharmaceuticals, you may wish to stay away from the Journal of Medical Economics and other broad scope journals and instead focus on publishing in a journal with a narrower focus such as Pharmaceutical Statistics. Once again, this is Emily from uni-edit. We hope you enjoyed this video, and check out our website for more.