Subject Guides: Electrical & Computer Engineering: Share

About Sharing Research

When determining how and where to share the results of your research, consider the following:

Proprietary information: Some research cannot be published due to the proprietary nature of the findings - the funding entity will generally state clearly what cannot be published.
Other funder requirements: Some funders require publication in open access journals, either immediately or after a specified "embargo" period during which a publisher may be given exclusive publication rights.
Author rights: Many publishers' agreements allow for permanently archiving a copy of your work on a publicly-accessible university repository such as ScholarsArchive. This can increase the visibility and impact of your work
Impact factor: Different measures of how your work impacts other research have been created. One common method is to consider the impact factor of the journal your work is published in.

The resources on this page can help you navigate these issues.

Resources Helpful when Choosing a Journal

Funder Requirements

Federal Agency Data Sharing Requirements This resource contains information for US Federal Funding Agencies and provides current policy language, and in some cases, proposed future changes to the policy. Users can toggle between data sharing requirements and article sharing policies.
Sherpa Juliet funding agency open access requirements Sherpa Juliet provides summary information on funding agencies' requirements for open access publishing. Links are provided to actual policy language. Included in this resource are both governmental and non-governmental funders, although the majority of the collected information is from the United Kingdom.
Sherpa FACT compliance checking tool Sherpa/FACT is a tool to help researchers check if the journals in which they wish to publish their results comply with their funder's requirements for open access to research. This tool does not contain all funders and is heavily focused on those within the United Kingdom.

Author Rights/Journal Copyright Allowances

Sherpa Romeo publisher copyright policies & self archiving Sherpa Romeo provides a summary of journal policies relating to self-archiving (e.g. placing a copy of a journal article in a university repositories).

Journal Impact Factor

Journal Citation Reports This link opens in a new window 2002-present. JCR presents quantifiable statistical citation data that provides a systematic, objective way to evaluate the world's leading journals and their impact and influence in the global research community. Covers more than 7,000 of the world's most highly cited, peer-reviewed journals in approximately 200 disciplines. Includes Science Edition and Social Science Edition.

Other Resources

Think Check Submit Tips for selecting a trusted and appropriate publisher for your work.

Predatory Journals

Some types of publishing, particularly that which is funded by the authors themselves, have given rise to what has been termed "predatory publishers." In short, predatory publishers give the appearance of scholarly journal publishing but in actuality publish with minimal or no peer review. At one time, a list of "blacklisted" journals was provided by Jeffrey Beall, a librarian at the University of Colorado-Denver, but this list was controversial and has since been withdrawn. More information on Mr. Beall and his list can be found at: https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/PredatoryPublishing/Beall.

While it is tempting to appeal to the authority of a list, the dynamic nature of information sources requires that authors exercise their own good judgment in assessing the quality of prospective journals. The tools on this page provide important sources of input relating to this assessment. Feel free to contact David Pixton (see home page) with further questions relating to publication.