Publishing in an open access journal is one of the best strategies an author can employ to increase the readership of an article, and there is now increasing evidence to support the idea that free access to research increases both visibility and citation. However, there are a number of other simple techniques that an author can use to improve an article’s impact. Here’s our top 10 tips:
1. Use Search Engine Optimization to increase the discoverability of your article in search engines, databases, and repositories. Choose your keywords carefully and include these in the title, the abstract, figure captions, table headings, and in subheadings throughout the main text.
2. Choose a publisher that utilizes TrendMD (e.g. Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Nature Publishing Group, BMJ Group, Springer etc.), so your article will be recommended on top scholarly websites.
3. Present your results at a conference; make sure you have eprints of your published work to hand out to anyone interested.
4. Self-archive your work. Many publishers now allow and encourage self-archiving in institutional repositories. Use the SHERPA/RoMEO database to view publisher copyright and self-archiving policies.
5. Update any professional online pages (LinkedIn) and Faculty pages to include the URL of your latest open access publication.
6. Share links to your current research on Twitter and Facebook.
7. Share links on academic networks such as Mendeley, ResearchGate, CiteULike, and Academia.
8. Create an ORCID ID (unique researcher identifier) and add the details to your online profiles. This will link your name to all your research activities and articles.
9. Post a short blog about your recent work, and send a copy of the blog to your institution’s media/public relations office.
10. Add the URL or DOI number of your latest article(s) to your email signature.
Please comment below if you have any other useful tips to share.
