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Science Writing: Publishing Articles

A guide to resources for writing and citing in the sciences.

What is Peer Review?

How do I know if it's Peer Reviewed?

Search Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to determine if a journal is peer-reviewed or "refereed".

Enter a journal title and look for this symbol Refereed

What is Impact Factor?

Journal Impact Factor (JIF) is the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year or period. This is one way to measure the scientific importance of a journal. JIFs are published in the JCR database by Thomson Reuters.

Not all journals have an official JIF, however, there are other methods for determing the quality of journals. This is called journal metrics. For more information, see:

Current Issues and Topics in Science Communication

  • Communication in Science
    This special issue of Science contains opinion pieces and current data on topics such as Science Publishing, Peer Review, and Open Access.
  • New Media for Publishing Scientific Information
    As technology advances, so do formats for publishing, especially in the sciences. One example is JoVE - Journal of Visualized Experiments. JoVE uses video technology to capture and transmit the multiple facets and intricacies of life science research.