Q: How do we get our journal indexed?

Detailed Question -

Our journal is now a printed version, but we want to publish it as an online version along with the printed version.

1 Answer to this question
Answer:

Hello Towhidul – Welcome to the forum!

It’s great that you are considering getting your journal indexed. You are clearly aiming to increase its reach. The decision to add the online version is sound as well, with the growth of the digital medium and the rise of the open access (OA) movement.

While we do not offer indexing services, we can provide a few pointers on how to go about applying for indexing.

  • You need to search for databases that index journals from your field. Based on your search, you may shortlist a few databases. Note that it’s better to have your journal indexed in multiple databases to increase its reach. But we would suggest starting with one, also because you are only now adding the digital version. Additionally, during the evaluation process, the database looks at how effective your various workflows are, and this usually comes from being an established journal with well-implemented workflows. Once you have successfully indexed in one database, you can over time seek indexing with others.
  • As you are going online, you need to decide whether your journal will be OA, paywalled, or hybrid (a mix of the two). This will also determine your choice of database. For instance, DOAJ is only for OA journals.
  • Go through the application and evaluation process in detail, as there are several criteria to qualify for indexing. Note that the process can take a while, around six months to a year. The better you know the criteria, the faster you can implement these systems at your journal and the smoother will be the acceptance process. In case the database is not initially satisfied, they may recommend some changes that you can make and then either re-apply or continue with the same application. For a sample of the application procedures and form, you may refer to that of the DOAJ here.

To understand how some other journals went about getting indexed, you may refer to these resources on our site:

And for more information around indexing and launching journals, you may refer to these resources:

All the best for your endeavor!

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