Publishing is how your research becomes visible, discoverable, and available for others to read, use, evaluate, and build upon.

You may choose to publish through journals, conferences, books, non-traditional research outputs, datasets and other forms of scholarly communication. Each publishing pathway offers different opportunities and involves different considerations. The most appropriate choice will depend on your research, your intended audience, disciplinary expectations, funder requirements, and publishing goals.

Whether you are preparing your first publication or refining an established publishing strategy, planning your approach can help you make informed decisions and maximise the accessibility, visibility, and value of your research.

Start with a clear pathway

It is easier to make publishing decisions when you start with your purpose, audience, output type, timeframe, and requirements. Begin with a publishing plan, then follow the pathway that best matches your research output.

Develop a Publishing Plan
Clarify what you want to publish, who you want to reach, who is involved, and what funder, ethics, data, copyright, open access, or institutional requirements may apply.
Explore publishing options

  • Publish in a journal

    Find journals that are credible and well matched to your manuscript, audience, discipline, article type, and research goals. After selecting suitable journals, check Read & Publish agreement coverage or other open publishing pathways, then prepare your manuscript for submission. or other open publishing pathways, then prepare your manuscript for submission.

  • Present at a conference

    Assess whether a conference, venue, organisation, commissioner, or platform will connect your research with the right audience. Confirm how the output will be reviewed, presented, published, documented, preserved, and reported.

  • Publish a non-traditional research output (NTRO)

    Choose a publication or dissemination pathway that suits your research output, audience, discipline, and purpose. Consider the type of non-traditional research output, how it will be peer reviewed or assessed, where it will be made accessible, and how it can be recorded and shared through Western Sydney University research systems.

  • Publish a book or book chapter

    Choose a publisher that suits your audience, discipline, purpose, and preferred publishing model. Consider open access book publishing, commercial scholarly publishing.

Submit Your Research
Prepare and submit your research in line with the publishing outlet’s requirements.
Share Your Research
After publication or presentation, share your research outputs and related materials through appropriate repositories, profiles, and communication channels.
Track Your Research
Keep publication records and researcher profiles current and use appropriate indicators to understand how your research is being discovered, accessed, cited, and discussed.

Use the Publish Your Research guide

The Publish Your Research guide provides practical tools, guidance, examples and planning suggestions for each stage.