Factors Determining Publication in a Journal: A Questionnaire Study among Dentists of Odisha

Abstract

Introduction: Research activities have increased manifold due to the importance of scientific publication in advancing an academic career. Researchers find it strenuous to choose journals due to the availability of a higher number of scientific journals. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the various journal factors that affect its selection to publish research work and the motivating factors involved in it. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 219 dental professionals that included dental faculties, postgraduate students, and private dental practitioners of Odisha, through a self-administered questionnaire via Google Forms consisting of 15 items. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis with a level of significance set at 0.05. Results: Respondents were predominantly dental faculty (53%). Factors influencing journal selection were citation of the journal (89.4%), followed by impact factor and indexing of the journal. Less than half (42.4%) agreed to pay the publishing charges. It was observed that PubMed indexing was preferred, followed by Scopus. The reason to publish was different for faculty and postgraduate students. Conclusions: Researchers consider various factors before publishing in a journal with the intent of discoverability and recognition. The study revealed that indexing of journals and impact factor as important aspects of choosing a journal for publication.