Systematic Reviews: Publishing your Systematic Review

Consult Cochrane Interactive Learning Module 8: Reporting the Review for further information.  *Please note you will need to register for a Cochrane account while initially on the Mayo network. You'll receive an email message containing a link to create a password and activate your account.*

• Evaluate the aim and scope of the journal to understand the likely audience and appropriate fit with your topic.

• Examine the author guidelines for accepted publication types and specific systematic review requirements. Assess several published examples of systematic reviews from past issues for editorial quality and scientific rigor.
   
• Is a transparent and thorough description of the peer-review process provided (how reviewers are selected, how many reviewers are assigned to a manuscript, timelines, how revisions are handled, etc.)?

• Is the journal indexed by scholarly databases such as Embase, Medline, Scopus and/or Web of Science?  If the journal is open access, is it listed by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ.org)?

• Is a statement posted about ethical publication practices (addressing topics such as duplicate publications, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, patient data, etc.) following guidelines from professional organizations such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), or Open Access Scholarly Publisher’s Association (OASPA)?

• Does the journal require publication fees and, if so, is the fee schedule listed? Note: A fee should not be imposed for complying with public access mandates.

• Does the journal provide copyright information for authors explaining the rights retained by the author and publisher?

• Are mentors and colleagues familiar with the journal or its publisher as well as the editor-in-chief or members of the editorial board?

“Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.”¹

Why Does It Matter?

• Content may be inaccurate and could adversely affect patient care decisions
• Citing erodes the scientific body of literature
• Your research is less likely to be cited and could vanish
• Costly to withdraw and detracts from CV
• There may be potential consequences for future grant funding

Checklist created by SIU Medical Library and adapted from Shamseer L., et al. "Potential predatory and legitimate biomedical journals: can you tell the difference? A cross-sectional comparison." BMC medicine 15.1 (2017): 1-14. ttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0785-9