A number of factors go into your decision about where to submit your paper and, when you have an offer, where to publish.
- What audience do you want to reach (e.g., practitioners, legal scholars, scholars from other fields)?
- Where does your paper fit? Does X journal publish articles on your general topic, of about the length and style of your paper?
- Does the journal you are considering publish online? Are its articles loaded on LexisNexis, Westlaw, HeinOnline, and Bloomberg Law? Where is it indexed?
- When you look at recent issues of the journal, do they seem well edited, or do you spot typos and sloppy work?
- Is this a journal you have read and found useful?
- How quickly can the editors publish your work?
- Do you want student editors or professional editors?
Various studies for measuring journal reputation are listed below, but don't overlook your personal contacts. Ask your colleagues or professors if they have opinions about different journals you are considering. Maybe they think that one is better or more respected than another, or maybe one of them had a good or bad experience publishing with a particular journal. All of these things can help you decide.