How can I ensure that my article falls within the research scope of the journal?

To ensure your manuscript aligns with a journal's research scope, meticulously match your work's core topic, methodology, and contributions to the journal's explicitly stated aims and disciplinary focus. Confirming this alignment is essential prior to submission to avoid desk rejection. Thoroughly examine the journal's "Aims & Scope" section, author guidelines, and recent published articles. Assess if your research question, subject matter, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies are explicitly covered or clearly resonate with the journal's established intellectual domain. Crucially, verify whether the journal publishes your specific type of research (e.g., empirical studies, theoretical reviews, case studies) and that your conclusions fall within the accepted significance level for the publication. First, identify relevant target journals early in your writing process using databases and reference lists. Second, critically evaluate your abstract and introduction against the journal's scope statement and recent publications to identify congruencies or potential mismatches. Third, consult colleagues or mentors familiar with the journal if uncertainty remains. Finally, be prepared to target an alternative journal should significant misalignment persist after careful analysis.