UGC peer reviewed journals

UGC Suggestive parameters for peer reviewed journals

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The UGC has removed the UGC CARE list of journals and introduced suggestive parameters to evaluate peer-reviewed journals for higher education and research purposes.

In April 2017, UGC released an approved list of journals (38,653 journals) for the consideration of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) and direct recruitment of staff. The UGC-approved list of journals was created for the evaluation of individuals and institutions. However, this list also contained many poor-quality journals.

On 28th November 2018, A UGC’s Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) was established to tackle this situation. The CARE was supposed to prepare the list of quality journals known as the “CARE Reference List of Quality Journals”.

In June 2019, the CARE list of journals was released. Hence, the existing “UGC Approved List of Journals” was replaced by the “CARE Reference List of Quality Journals”.

In October 2024, the UGC decided to discontinue the “CARE Reference List of Quality Journals” and provided the following suggestive parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals.

List of UGC Suggestive parameters for peer reviewed journals

1. Journal Preliminary Criteria

  • 1.1 Journal Title
  • 1.2 ISSN Number (Print and/or Online)
  • 1.3 Periodicity and Continuity (Regular Publication Schedule)
  • 1.4 Contact and Publication Details (Publisher information, address, and contact
    details)
  • 1.5 Transparent Review Policy (Clear guidelines for peer review process)
  • 1.6 Website on a Certified Domain (Secure and professionally managed website)
  • 1.7 Open Access or Subscription-Based Policy (Clear policy on access and fees)
  • 1.8 Integration with National/International Repositories (Inclusion under ONOS or
    similar umbrellas)
  • 1.9 Archival Policy (How the previous issues are maintained/made available)

2. Editorial Board Criteria

  • 2.1 Editorial Board Details (Names, affiliations, and expertise of editorial board
    members)
  • 2.2 Editorial Board Composition (Subject expertise, with eminen
    academicians/scientists/researchers)
  • 2.3 Efficient Editorial/Review Process (Rigorous peer review, compliance with
    reviewers’ recommendations, and clear timelines)

3. Journal Editorial Policy

  • 3.1 Aims, Objectives, and Scope (Clearly defined focus areas and goals of the journal)
  • 3.2 Subject Areas (Specific fields covered by the journal)
  • 3.3 Article Processing Charges (APC) (Transparent fee structure, if any)
  • 3.4 Publishing Timeline (Average time from submission to publication)
  • 3.5 Acceptance Rate (Percentage of submissions accepted for publication)

4. Journal Quality Criteria – Content

  • 4.1 Academic Contribution (Articles should demonstrate motivation, advancement of
    existing knowledge, and applicability for policymaking)
  • 4.2 Conformity to Journal Scope (Articles must align with the journal’s stated aims and
    objectives)

5. Journal Standards

  • 5.1 Bibliographic Data & Literature Citation (Accurate and standardized referencing)
  • 5.2 Font & Design (Professional layout and readability)
  • 5.3 Infographics & Exhibits (High-quality visuals and supplementary materials)
  • 5.4 Citation Record (Journal articles cited in reputable databases)
  • 5.5 Print Continuum (Consistency in print publication, if applicable)
  • 5.6 Online Availability (Full-text articles available online)
  • 5.7 Quality of Website (Well-maintained, regularly updated, and user-friendly)
  • 5.8 Multilingual Availability (Relevance for Indian context, with content in Indian languages)

6. Research Ethics

  • 6.1 Ethical Guidelines for Authors (Clear guidelines for ethical publishing practices)
  • 6.2 Plagiarism Prevention (Similarity score not exceeding standard limits)
  • 6.3 Conflict of Interest Disclosure (No conflicts between governance, editorial board members, reviewers, and authors; any potential conflicts must be disclosed)
  • 6.4 AI-Generated Content Policy (Journal has specify policy concerning use of AI)

7. Journal Visibility

  • 7.1 Impact Factor (Journal’s impact factor, if applicable)
  • 7.2 Indexation in Reputed Databases (Inclusion in renowned databases)

8. Journal Impact Criteria

  • 8.1 Self-Citation Score (Should be within a prescribed range compared to peer journals)
  • 8.2 Total Citation Rate (As compared with similar peer-reviewed journals)
  • 8.3 Cite Score (Journal’s citation impact over a specific period)

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