A recent survey of journal editors found that the number one reason a manuscript gets rejected is poor study design. No matter how clearly written your study, it’s almost impossible to resurrect a study that has inherent design flaws. Before you start drafting your manuscript, best practices recommend that you select a target journal. This will ensure that your work is well aligned with the scope of the journal. Additionally, understanding if you are aiming to write a 1500 word piece or a 3000 word piece will make a significant difference in how you construct your paper.
Assuming you have a well-constructed study, before submission take care to ensure that you avoid "sloppy copy." Typos and grammatical errors can be distracting and prevent an editor from understanding your core message.
Selected Medical Education Journals
2014 Impact Factor
Review of Educational Research
3.897
Learning and Instruction
3.585
Medical Education
3.196
J Research in Science Teaching
3.162
Academic Medicine
3.06
Science Education
2.825
Computers and Education
2.556
Educational Researcher
2.527
Advances in Health Sciences Education
2.124
Metacognition and Learning
1.708
Medical Teacher
1.679
Health Education Research
1.574
J Surgical Education
1.379
Nurse Education Today
1.364
J Continuing Education in Health Professions
1.361
BMC Medical Education
1.218
Int J Science Education
1.132
Teaching and Learning in Medicine
0.659
The Clinical Teacher
Education for Primary Care
J of Graduate Medical Education
Medical Education Online
MedEd Portal
Finally, make sure your manuscript conveys a clear, concise key message. Don’t force the reviewers to search for your message by submitting a paper that is ambiguous. Make sure your important findings come through with clear writing.
For a more comprehensive list of selected medical education journals made by the AAMC, visit:
https://www.aamc.org/download/456646/data/annotated-bibliography-of-journals-march-2016.pdf