h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have nearly finished writing a paper. I think it's very good, it has some nice diagrams in it, and the results are fairly interesting. It's on the Boss's pet topic, so she's very very interested in it, and we're starting to decide which journal to submit it to.

This is a delicate decision. My Boss is very interested in this topic, as are about 2 or 3 other people, including me. Some others may also be interested but they won't care as deeply.

So the choices are:

Big General Journal. Like the BMJ, Lancet or other one.

Big Neurology Journal.

Smallish Neurology Journal

Stroke journal.


It's a delicate decision, you can only submit to one journal at a time, and each one takes about three months to reject you. So if you over ambitiously submit to the New England Journal of Medicine, and get rejected then someone else might publish something similar in Stroke.

Among us juniors we tend to be aware that our bosses are very very interested in our work, and sometimes loose sight of the fact that other's aren't as interested in this work. It's all very complex. I think I'm going to draw another diagram to take me mind off it.

You should draw a diagram illustrating the merits of the arousal journals, and then extrapolate the results.

I don't know how various became arousal there, but I blame a combination of my typing and the iPad autocorrect.

I like arousal better.

This cartoon sums up the process.

http://neuroskeptic.blogspot.com/2011/01/wheel-of-peer-review.html

Submit the journals to 2legs - he'll know the best arousal journals to send it to.

This kind of journal's interesting stuff, Z. Don't stop them dead completely when the journalling month's over!

I second the suggestion of drawing a pros, cons and outcomes diagram re: each journal you're thinking of submitting to. Even if it doesn't budge the Boss an inch, it'll give you good ol' perspective. Add cats. Cats make diagrams better. Cats and hamsters.

Do you know what? I haven't had any coffee for 28 hours. I wouldn't pay any attention to me either.

When I have to do this kind of thing I let my boss decide where it goes...
Shoulders
T.

If all else fails, there's always the hootoo journal.