I look for a journal with a scope that matches my manuscript and is not on the predatory journal lists.
I look for one that accepts my kind of methodology (quantitative, qualitative, conceptual, etc.). If the journal accepts my topic, I also want to be sure that it has not published something TO similar recently.
I also consider which style manual it uses, i.e. one I am used to using, or one what I am NOT accustomed to.
It is good practice for writers to choose journals with transparent publication policies for the purpose of ensuring that ethical and responsible research is published. Here, a number of criteria are important:
a) Make sure our paper and its content fits within the scope of the journal,
b)Assess the credentials of the journal and/ or publisher,
c) Check if what they publish matches quality and relevance to our field,
d) Probe the quality of the website representing the journal, and finally,
e) Examine the tools and services they offer to authors.
@michael yes it is very true about manual style. As I am comfortable with Latex, I avoid sending my paper to journal and conferences which ask for mandatory word file.
All what our colleagues said above makes completely sense. I would include that it is a good idea to read 3-4 papers published in the journal you are looking at, in order to know which style and methodology are they seeking to publish recently. But I think this is very similar to the suggestions presented by Dr. Biria, so... we all seem to agree here!
In my view, this depends on a number of variables and as a result, no one can focus on the same or similar type of journal for each and every article he/she produce.
First, the scope of the potential journal must align with the article someone has. No one can progress beyond this point unless the condition is satisfied. This also needs to reach the target readership. Then, the author(s) must have a realistic idea about the quality of the article produced. This will allow the author(s) to decide the applicability of a first, middle, or low tier journal for the article.
Then it comes to decide the appropriate publication factors. For example, an author may need to publish an article in a journal within a certain impact factor value range, with least processing time, and indexed by certain A&I services. Perhaps, this author may need to fulfill these requirements for his/her next promotion. In addition, age of journal, reputation of publisher and journal, number of issues per year, etc. may also make sense under some circumstances.
Therefore, in my view, the problem of where to submit will change based on the quality of the article an author produced and author's current publication requirements. Perhaps, there could be some other factors too, which I did not mention here.
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