Is there any scientific significance in publishing in strictly related journals. For instance, I feel there should be a high correlation of a paper title or scope with the scope of journal to publish such paper in. I've often come across certain papers published in totally unrelated journals. What's the effect of this or it doesn't matter?
Respectable journals would not publish work unrelated to the journal theme and scope, and would often direct you to more appropriate journals for your research in turning down your research. The journals that have too broad a name to accept anything and everything are fee-paying and online ones (many online ones have high impact factor and even outstanding ones nowadays have an online branch). If I were you, I would worry about publishing in journals with vague, general, and all-encompassing names unrelated to my area of specialization even if I can be easily published there.
Dear Dorcas
The scope of a scientific journal is usually well defined and it is an editor's job to make sure that submitted articles are aligned with the topics that are normally covered in that journal. In some instances, an editor may decide to accept an article that is a bit 'peripheral', but a journal runs the risk of losing its identity if too many of such marginal articles get published.
From an author's point of view, there may be all sorts of reasons to pick a certain journal as an outlet for their work. Normally you would expect that an author has a certain readership in mind, but there may be other motivations. In many ways, because of the accessibility of the web, a good paper will get exposure wherever one decides to publish, although obviously some journals are more prolific and better 'visible' than others.
John
@John, thank you for your contributions.
I find it so alarming for instance when a Petroleum geoscience paper is published in Journal of Food development or journal of Poverty and development. These are just few instances.
@Zouheir, I appreciate your advice. Will put that in mind obviously.
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