So You Want to Publish an Article...: What to Expect After Submission

Depending on the journal, the peer review and editorial process can take several weeks to months. If a journal notifies you that they are considering your submission for publication and it is moving into the peer review phase, be ready to receive reviewers' and editors' comments and make appropriate revisions in a timely manner.

Once your manuscript is accepted, you may need to decide if you want to choose an Open Access publication option. Many journals offer authors a choice on whether they would like to make their accepted manuscripts available immediately for free to anyone (Gold Open Access). While there is an obvious drawback (that you will have to pay a fee), there can be great value to you as an author for making your article available openly. When you make your publication available openly, anyone can read your work without barriers. The value to you as an author depends upon your goals, but these benefits are valued by most authors:

• Increased visibility and readership: You'll have a wide potential audience for your article (anyone who can access the internet), so you will theoretically get higher exposure to your research.
• Increased citations: Open Access articles tend to be cited more frequently than those that are closed off in a subscription journal. So, theoretically, other researchers will build upon your work more than if your article was not openly available. High citation rates are evidence for many authors that their work is valued.
• Enhanced impact: Because your research is available openly, more people will learn from your research and use it to make real-world impact on society. It also accelerates the dissemination of your research to increase the speed at which it will be used for scientific and policy purposes.
• Better author options: In traditional publishing models, authors generally have to transfer their copyright to the publisher of the journal. In many Open Access choice programs, the author may retain their copyright and choose the type of use they want allowed for their work (choose a Creative Commons license). Open Access can offer authors more control over their own work.

If you are able to afford the Article Processing Charge, there are few disadvantages to choosing Open Access for your work. Just watch out for suspicious publishers who will charge a fee, but don't actually publish high quality journals. These "predatory publishers" mimic quality journals without providing the peer review and other value-added services of high quality publishers. 

Rejection can happen for a variety of reasons and it's important to consider the following before you try again.

• Make revisions: Reviewers' and editors' comments remain important, even in the case of rejection. Carefully consider how you can use their feedback to improve your manuscript and then do so.
• Reconsider your choice of journal: Consider journals with a higher acceptance rate, journals that better fit the scope of your work, or journals that accept the type of manuscript you wrote (case study, for example).
• Consider other publication options: Examples include MedEdPORTAL or SHARE @ Advocate Health - Midwest.

You've been published - congratulations! Here are some next steps to consider that can help increase the impact of your work.

• Understand and save documentation on the author rights you have, which will be dependent on the journal or platform you published in.
• Submit your work to SHARE @ Advocate Health - Midwest for inclusion in our organization's scholarly record.
• Share a link to your published work on your preferred social media platforms.
• Don't forget to add this new article to your profiles on any of the following: ORCID, Academia.edu or ResearchGate.