National Approved Journal Lists: A Guide for Researchers

Picking the right journal could change your research’s visibility and trustworthiness. But, through national approved journal lists, funding bodies may limit the journals you can publish in.

Nationally approved journal lists are curated lists of academic journals endorsed by governments or funding bodies to ensure research quality and credibility for the studies they’re funding.

As a researcher, you want to make sure the right people, and as many people as possible, see their work. Journal selection matters a lot, and in some countries, a national approved journal list may govern what journal you choose. But the intent of such lists is valid and justified: Make sure you spend their money on research exposure in a reputable journal that upholds publishing integrity.

These lists are key for improving quality and following rules in scholarly work. They offer a trusted way to check if a journal is good. In this article, you’ll learn about different nationally approved journal lists. You’ll see why they’re important for picking the right journal for your research and how to use them to reach your publishing goals.

Contents

Key takeaways

Understanding national approved journal lists is vital for selecting reputable journals.
These lists promote academic integrity and compliance in publishing.
Different countries have unique approved journal lists that cater to specific standards.
Utilizing these lists can significantly enhance your research’s visibility and impact.
Each nationally approved journal list serves as a valuable resource for researchers.

What are national approved lists of journals, and why do they exist?

Nationally approved journal lists help identify reputable journals and ensure that funding goes toward publication in these journals. That’s good for the country and, usually, it’s good for you as a researcher. It keeps you away from predatory and fake journals and ensures research quality.

Journals on these lists follow strict peer-review processes, which is an important trait for keeping research trustworthy and meeting funding body rules.

How to find and refer to national approved journal lists

Finding approved journal lists can make your research and publication easier. Use your school’s library, academic databases, and national accrediting bodies’ websites. They keep their lists of journals up to date.

Open access platforms like CORE offer a vast number of research papers³. BASE gives access to over 140 million documents, with 60% free to access³. The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) lists about 12,000 open access journals in various fields³.

It’s important to know the guidelines for publishing in these journals. Each repository has its own rules. Knowing these can help you avoid problems.

Always check if the list is current. Journal statuses can change, affecting their academic standing. This step helps ensure your work meets the latest scholarly standards, making publication smoother.

Norway: The Norwegian List

The Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers (simply, the Norwegian List) includes about 30,000 recognized source titles. These are sorted into Level 1 and Level 2 based on strict quality standards⁴⁵.

This effort ensures quality and matches the approved journal lists used in schools. It helps maintain high standards in research.

To be included, journals must meet certain criteria. They must follow journal evaluation metrics and show excellence. For example, journals in Web of Science and Scopus are seen as top-notch, boosting their credibility⁵.

Visibility is key for these journals. A strong metadata system helps share research with more people.

Level 1 and Level 2 journals have different standards. Level 2 is for top-quality research, important for making an impact in the field⁵. Journals are chosen based on cost, relevance, and Open Access publishing rules⁵.

India: UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals

The University Grants Commission Consortium for Academic Research and Ethics (UGC-CARE) list is central in improving academic publishing in India. It lists 1,456 journals across many subjects, helping researcherss find top journals for their studies⁶. Journals are sorted into four groups based on their quality and reputation. Group A includes journals in Scopus or Web of Science, and Group B follows specific criteria⁶.

Group C is for journals picked by UGC-CARE Council members. Group D has journals that meet certain standards⁶.

In 2021, the list showed 422 journals in sciences, 347 in social sciences, and 383 in arts & humanities. There were 56 in multidisciplinary and 248 in Indian languages⁶. The list has strict rules to keep out unethical journals, showing the need for integrity in publishing⁶.

By October 2020, 62 journals were in the UGC-CARE list for science. A few were removed over time⁷.

The journals are current from June 2019 to April 2024, making them useful for research⁷. Seven journals are in Scopus, and two are in both Scopus and Web of Science. This attests to their high quality⁷.

Knowing these classifications helps researchers choose the right journals. This ensures their work is recognized and respected.

China: Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD) and journal ranking systems

The Chinese Science Citation Database is key for checking scientific journals in China. It started in 1989 and has nearly 17 million citations. It indexes 300,000 articles from 1998 to now from thousands of journals⁸.

With 1,200 China-based academic publications and about 2 million entries, it’s seen as a top database for Chinese science⁸.

This database helps use journal ranking systems. These systems show how influential journals are through citations. In early 2019, China had 11,188 scholarly journals. Many are in the Chinese Science Citation Database, helping researchers find good journals⁹.

The CSCD excels in representing different types of science; indeed, better than many Western databases⁸. In 2020, Chinese authors wrote about 552,600 papers for the Science Citation Index (SCI) Expanded. It’s a major player in science publication and keeps growing¹⁰.

Chinese research is highly cited, garnering 43.32 million citations from 2011 to October 2021¹⁰. The CSCD works with institutions to focus on China’s research goals. This makes it different from many global databases⁸.

By following the CSCD’s guidelines, researchers can make sure their work is recognized and listed in trusted places.

Italy: ANVUR accredited journal lists

The National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR) in Italy uses automatic tools to check research and teaching quality¹¹. A group of seven professors, chosen by the Minister of Education, runs ANVUR, making sure research and teaching meet high standards¹¹.

Researchers in Italy use ANVUR’s list of approved journals to publish their work¹¹. Recently, ANVUR didn’t accept Open Research Europe as a journal, showing how strict it is about how research is published and reviewed¹¹, though its added Article 18 does allow or broader consideraing of open access publications.

For the 2020-2024 National Research Assessment, ANVUR looks at citations and H-index scores. This is true for all fields, showing ANVUR’s dedication to quality¹¹. However, some say ANVUR’s methods don’t always match up with what’s promised¹¹. This has raised questions about fairness and openness in reviews.

Between 2004 and 2010, ANVUR reviewed over 180,000 items with more than 14,000 referees¹². They use both numbers and peer reviews to decide who gets National Scientific Habilitation. This shows the importance of publishing in approved journals¹². The focus on numbers affects funding and reputation of universities in Italy¹².

Saudi Arabia: Recommended journals

Saudi Arabia plans to boost research quality by picking top journals. The Saudi research journal recommendations help scholars find the right places to publish. The country has published 182,753 documents from 1996 to 2018, earning 1,946,422 citations¹³.

Choosing approved journal repositories is crucial. These journals are known for their quality and trustworthiness. This makes research outputs reliable, helping scientists get funding easily. From 2019 to 2021, 175,615 COVID-19 articles were published worldwide. Saudi Arabia published 3,615 of them, ranking 15th globally¹⁴.

This effort increases the quality of research and prepares academics for funding changes. Saudi Arabia saw more COVID-19 research in 2021, with 2,337 articles. Institutions like King Saud University are leadesrs in scientific contributions¹⁴.

Benefits and challenges of using national approved journal lists

Using nationally approved journal lists boosts your research’s credibility. It shows that your work meets high standards. This helps you avoid journals that might harm your reputation.

These lists also give you access to top-notch publication venues, so your work is thoroughly and responsibly reviewed. This process leads to more trust and recognition in your field, helping you collaborate better and get more citations.

However, choosing the right journal can be tricky. Journal rankings change often, causing confusion. Some fields might have few options on these lists, limiting where you can publish.

Ultimately, you should weigh the pros and cons of approved journal lists. Keeping up with changes helps you make the best choices for your research, so you can maintain your integrity in academic publishing¹⁵¹⁶¹⁷.

What if your target journal isn’t on the national approved list?

If your journal isn’t on the approved list, check it carefully. Look at how the journal reviews its articles. A good peer review process is central in quality research.

Also, see if the journal is listed in large and reputable databases, like Scopus and Web of Science. These databases check journals hard, showing they’re trusted. Look at the impact factor to see how well the journal is seen by others.

Talking to experts such as colleagues and advisors can provide good advice. They can share their own experiences or tips and help you with your decision to publish.

Make sure the journal follows ethical publishing rules. Some journals publish fast but don’t check the work well. Look at the journal’s history, who owns it, and any fees like article processing charges (APCs).

It’s important to know the risks of publishing in unknown places. Some journals are fake and just want your money. Cabell’s Blacklist shows these fake journals, which don’t check work well¹⁸.

In short, not being on a list doesn’t mean a journal is bad. Do your homework on its practices and reputation. By looking at peer-review, indexing, and what others say, you can choose wisely for your research.

MacroLingo Academia – Solutions for finding your target journal

Finding the right journal for your research can be tough. MacroLingo’s Academia division can offer guidance on the tools, tricks, and mindset for getting published right where you need to be. Get in touch and let us know the choices you’re facing.