A Guide to Journal Indexing
Academic journals undergo evaluation by various indexing bodies to ensure ethical practices and high publishing standards. Three prominent indexes include:
· PubMed Central (PMC): This database, part of the prestigious PubMed collection by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), features journals indexed in Web of Science and Medline. Whereas its subsidiary (Clarivate) calculates a Journal Impact Factor (JIF) based on citations in the past two years, highlighting a journal's influence within its field.
· Scopus: Owned by Elsevier, Scopus boasts a vast collection of academic journals across all disciplines. It assigns an annual Cite Score based on citations within the past four years, offering another measure of a journal's impact.
· Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): Maintained by Infrastructure Services for Open Access, DOAJ focuses exclusively on open-access journals. It upholds strict quality and ethical standards, promoting research integrity and accessibility.
Beyond these, other indexes like Google Scholar, ProQuest, Hinari, and Copernicus exist. However, publications within them may not hold the same weight for academic promotions, as determined by bodies like the National Medical Commission (NMC).
Institutions often consider a journal's impact factor when evaluating faculty for promotions. JIF and Cite Score, although similar, have slight variations in calculation periods. Some institutions might prioritize one over the other, while others consider both.