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target-journal

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Journal targeting analysis for the sewage-house-prices paper. Recommends ranked journal list across 3 tiers with formatting requirements, submission strategy, and desk rejection risk assessment. This skill should be used when asked to "target a journal", "where should we submit", "journal fit", or "submission strategy".

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills/blob/HEAD/skills/41-sticerd-eee-sewage-econometrics-check/skills/target-journal/SKILL.md

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Target Journal

Analyse the sewage-house-prices paper and recommend journals for submission.

Input: $ARGUMENTS — path to paper .tex file or abstract text. Defaults to docs/overleaf/_main.tex.

Project-Specific Context

Paper Profile

  • Topic: Causal impact of sewage spills on house prices and rents
  • Country: England
  • Data: EDM (2021-2024+), Land Registry transactions, Zoopla rentals, Met Office rainfall
  • Methods: Hedonic, repeat sales, long difference, DiD, upstream/downstream, dry spills
  • Contribution: First paper to estimate sewage spill capitalisation using comprehensive EDM data

Relevant Journal Landscape

Tier 1 — General Interest (reach): AER, QJE, JPE, REStud, Econometrica (if methodological contribution warrants)

Tier 2 — Strong Field:

  • Journal of Environmental Economics and Management (JEEM) — primary target for environmental capitalisation
  • Journal of Urban Economics (JUE) — housing market focus
  • Regional Science and Urban Economics (RSUE) — spatial analysis
  • Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics (JREFE) — property valuation
  • Environmental and Resource Economics (ERE) — European environmental economics
  • Ecological Economics (EE) — broader sustainability angle

Tier 3 — Solid Alternatives:

  • JEEA — European applied economics
  • Journal of Applied Econometrics — methodological emphasis
  • Land Economics — natural resource / real estate
  • Economics Letters — short-format results
  • Environment and Planning B — policy-oriented
  • Journal of Housing Economics — housing market specialisation

Workflow

Step 1: Context Gathering

  1. Read the paper (or abstract) from $ARGUMENTS or docs/overleaf/_main.tex
  2. Read existing manuscript sections for contribution framing
  3. Check which analyses are complete (scan output/tables/ and output/figures/)

Step 2: Analyse Paper Fit

Extract:

  • Primary contribution type (empirical, methodological, policy)
  • Identification strategy strength
  • Data novelty (EDM data availability)
  • Scope and generalisability
  • UK vs international relevance

Step 3: Journal Recommendations (3 Tiers)

For each recommended journal:

  • Why it fits this paper
  • Recent similar publications in the journal
  • Desk rejection risk (Low / Medium / High)
  • Typical turnaround time
  • Special considerations

Step 4: Formatting Requirements (Top 3)

For the top 3 recommended journals:

RequirementDetails
Word/page limit
Abstract limit
Citation style
LaTeX class
Figure format
Data availability
Submission portal
Double-blind

Step 5: Submission Checklist

For the top journal choice:

  • Manuscript formatting compliance
  • Cover letter (addressed to current editor)
  • JEL codes and keywords
  • Data availability statement
  • Replication package (if required at submission)
  • Suggested/excluded referees

Step 6: Strategic Notes

  • Desk rejection risk — honest assessment by journal
  • Suggested referees — 3-5 names with expertise in hedonic pricing, environmental valuation, or UK housing
  • Competing papers — recent work on sewage/water quality and house prices
  • Resubmission strategy — if rejected from Tier 2 primary, which journal next?
  • Timing — any relevant deadlines or conference cycles

Save to output/log/journal_targeting_[date].md.

Principles

  • Be honest about fit. Don't suggest AER unless the contribution genuinely warrants it.
  • Field-specific knowledge. JEEM and JUE are the natural homes — rank within that context.
  • Recent publications matter. Check if journals recently published on water quality, pollution capitalisation, or UK housing.
  • The best journal is one that publishes the paper. Don't over-optimise.
  • Formatting details change. Flag any uncertain requirements for user verification.