I feel stressful in my university because this university only emphasizes on top tier journals. My supervisor told me that i need at least two top tier journals to qualify for graduation. In the list of the journals, it only has 5 or 6 choices, others are not counted. The chances to get in those journals are very difficult. Besides this, he did not supervise me at all, giving me all freedom as long as i got journal to be published. Furthermore he has no knowledge on what i am doing. When i wrote a paper to him, he only looked at the introduction and conclusion only.

Hi EEE.

Not quite sure what your question is?  but have you tried to get published at all?   

There are a range of views on this, some sups seem to focus on the top tiers, and others on those more likely to get in. Although i'm not sure the two are exclusive.  I got one in a lower tier and am now aiming for the top... my view is that they can only say no and then i aim lower.

You need to judge for yourself which you would be prefer.   Is your sup hoping for co-author? If not, then its really up to you.

Best, Chuff

I have 2 sups with very diff views on this. One is very critical of anything but a few journals in her subject but the other is more open and understand that as students sometimes starting below the top ones is a better move than lots of rejection from the big ones to dent confidence.

I think it comes down to if they are part of the old guard or a bit more new and adaptive to how academic is changing and students needs.

I was at a seminar on this very topic and it is better imho to get published in "lesser" down journals as it is quality over quantity and with a PhD, you may get results that will be perhaps out of the "norm".

What is your field of your PhD exactly? :-)

i am in electronic field. Supervisor told me that if I publish in lower tier journals, it is not counted as journal.
Does your university have this kind of policy to graduate? How do your supervisors give guidance and supervision??
Is it normal that supervisor did not supervise? The only thing my supervisor "supervise" me is to correct my grammar mistake and polish the sentence in my paper...

I am not sure about the electronic field, but, I think that the supervisor needs to wake up, if they can't help you, how can they be able to say what kind of journal. If he an editor for a journal or what?

Hey EEE! I would check out the university guidelines to find out whether you need publications to graduate, and if so, where these publications should be. Some PhDs don't actually require any publications, some require several (PhD by publication), but I have never heard of them having to be in specific journals. So I would find out where you stand! On the other hand, it doesn't do any harm to aim high and submit your work to good journals- worst case scenario is you get useful feedback and have to submit it somewhere else if it gets rejected! I aimed very high with my first paper (on my supervisor's advice!) and we were both quite surprised when it got accepted. My other papers have been in journals that are respectable but nowhere near as good as the first journal, but they are still recognised as good solid publications- it would seem silly to be required to get every single paper in a really top journal for your PhD! Anyway, check out the rule book to be sure! Good luck! KB