Article and journal decisions

I am trying to write my article and summarize everything I have done so far. I realize that there are a few more results (ok, quite a few) that need to be done before I can say I am finished with this but still my only thought at the moment (apart from the dreadful moment tomorrow when I have decided to present the manuscript so far to my PI for comments) is where to send this? My ego would like to send it to a large journal, just to get some comments on why they wouldn’t publish it?! Then move on to another journal that I think might would publish it and where I would be happy to have it. And then, after that, move into “anywhere as long as impact factor is larger than 3 and people who I write for read the journal”.

I tried to look at different journals and decide what I want to name drop when we eventually talk about it. I guess that is one of the main things I want to sort out tomorrow since it will influence how I argue in my discussion… I assume we will send it to a rather more clinical setting than what I am used to (not pure microbiology that is). In other words, more Journal of Clinical investigation or maybe Journal of experimental medicine although I do realize that both of them have massive impact factors and probably will not be for this research. Otherwise I guess PLoS Medicine or PLoS would work (and not as "would work although they are not as high" because they are), taking into consideration that this project might be considered a little cross over… it is not solely microbiology and not solely clinical.

In fact, I was surprised when people told me at the conference that it was considered a clinical paper since I have no patients or material from humans. Anyway, back to the journal thinking. I am such a snob though that at the moment think it will be my last goal to see if it is publishable in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy or Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy. I think those would be kind of safe bets, but then again, I am not sure. This is why my PI will have the final say in all this...

I think it would be fun to someday try and send something to Nature Medicine for example (I know, it is ego and probably very silly to want that kind of recognition). Just because I personally, when I am in a good mood as today, can see the benefits and interest from many people and this especially when talking about treatment of infectious diseases. And then of course that I would be so happy if my research went into one of the Big ones... it would be similar to the dream about studying in Cambridge or getting my PhD degree and then realizing one day that I have a PhD degree (no, never went to Cambridge but a professor from there gave me one of my best memories of conferences and research) and that I am, currently, doing a post doc at a place I never thought I could qualify for when I started my biology studies as an undergrad.

Well, I just wanted to let this stand out here for me to mull over until tomorrow (or more likely next week). The hardest part would be to say “I think we should send it to Nature Medicine” and not get a condescending smile. [Come to think of it, I think the paper I am second author on got sent to Nature Medicine by my PI first so… maybe not completely impossible? If nothing else he might have the guts to try?!] And also, the last paper accepted in the lab was in some of the newcomer Cell spawns so…. Maybe not completely off mark? And if nothing else, the likely hood of me publishing in a grand big journal is never going to be higher than this - in this ‘highly ranked institute’ where I am now so better try. It like that saying “you can’t win if you don’t play”.

Home to practice face “what is the worst that can happen if we submit there?”. And of course, "go for the shot stupid! Don't flap around the ice like that!" (yes, hockey started yesterday!! yey!)