First article - where to publish

[Imaginary]

I have a quick question for all of you. I have an article that I really do think stands on its own merits, but based on advice I received from one professor, submitted it to an open access journal. It is contingently accepted, but as it happens, the journal has extensive ties (though not exclusive) to the organization where I completed past degrees. Would it be better for me to publish my first article elsewhere?

[fuzzylogician]

I wouldn't worry. I think in the future it is important to also submit to other journals so you have a nice breadth to your CV, and if you'd asked me before submitting I might have said choose a journal that's not related to your previous institution just to be safe (depending on the politics behind the journal), but since it's accepted I wouldn't touch it now and instead set my sights on a different journal for my next submission. Congrats! 

[rising_star]

If it's already accepted, then I wouldn't worry about it unless you really want to withdraw your paper and submit it elsewhere (which is an unusual thing to do unless there's a really compelling reason to do so). 

[TakeruK]

Maybe this is a different-field thing, but there are journals that are based out of specific institutions? I had thought the majority of journals are published by national societies for the field? Just curious.

[fuzzylogician]

In my field it's not exactly that the journal is (usually) hosted by an institution but the editors will often come from the same institution or somehow share a theoretical affinity, be friends, maybe publish together. So if you only submit to your advisor's journal, there could be some concern. As I said above, I actually think the better worry is about having papers in many of the major relevant journals of your field, not just one or two, and more importantly choosing the right journal to reach the appropriate audience with your work.