Quality and Reputation

• Is the journal reputable? Trustworthy?
• What subject areas or disciplines are covered?
• What is the publication's reputation in the field?
• Who is the audience?
• Where is it indexed? Publish in journals indexed in PubMed whenever possible.

By the numbers

• How long has the title been published?
• What is the journal Impact Factor?
• What is the frequency of publication and average number of articles published per issue?
• What is their acceptance rate?

Logistics

• What is the peer review process?
• What is the average length of time from submission to publication

A refereed or peer reviewed publication is one that has been evaluated by experts the field prior to publication. Refereed materials are significant to the research and the literature of most academic fields because they assure readers that the information conveyed is reliable and timely.

In contrast, articles submitted to non-refereed materials such as Trade Journals or Magazines are accepted or rejected based on the judgement of the editor. 

The term "scholarly publication" is often used to describe refereed materials, but this term is not exclusive to refereed material. Non-refereed materials may not by scrutinized as intensely as refereed materials, but they can still be considered scholarly.

Most biomedical research is reported/published in academic or scholarly (refereed) publications and and the articles have completed the peer-review process.

To determine if a journal is refereed, you can;

• Visit the journal's web site (search Google using quotation marks around the title)
• Limit database search results to "peer reviewed" literature
• Search for the journal title in Ulrich's International Serials Directory

Other clues:

• Little or no advertising  Any advertising that is included will directly relate to the field.

• Black & White Text Refereed publicaitons are mostly black and white text with very few photographic material. Articles often include tables, charts and graphs.

• Table of contents  will list research articles and non-research material such as editorials, book reviews, literature reviews, and essays.

• Publishing Refereed journals are typcially published weekly,  monthly, quarterly, or annualy, often by a professional society, organization or research institution - once a week, once a month, every quarter, or annually. The majority of journals are published four to six times per year and are often published by a professional society, organization or research institution.

• Editorial board Refereed journals have a peer review process. The editorial board is listed along with the organizations they are affiliated with. Information about what types of papers are chosen for publication, the selection process, the length of papers accepted, and how to submit a paper is also provided.

• Indexing Information will include sources where the journal is indexed.

Understanding Impact Factor and Other Bibliometrics from the University Library's Scholarly Commons.

UIC also has an excellent page that explains various measures of journal impact.

SOURCE: Rele, Shilpa; Kennedy, Marie; and Blas, Nataly, "Journal Evaluation Tool" (2017). LMU Librarian
Publications & Presentations. 40.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/librarian_pubs/40

How to use the journal evaluation tool
The journal evaluation tool includes two components, the rubric and the scoring sheet:
Step 1: Follow the criteria listed on the rubric. The criteria prompts you to look to the journal and
publisher web sites to determine if there are markers of credibility or any red flags.
Step 2: Look at the Rationale column on the scoring sheet to gauge the importance of each criterion.
Step 3: Categorize each criteria on the rubric into one of three categories: good (receiving a score of 3),
fair (a score of 2), or poor (a score of 1).
Step 4: Mark the score for each criterion on the scoring sheet.
Step 5: Determine the final score after you have completed the rubric.
Step 6: Use the Guide to Interpretation at the bottom of the scoring sheet to determine if the total score
suggests that the journal is likely a good, fair, or poor choice for publication.