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Web of Science Indexing: Complete Guidelines & Checklist

Journal Indexing 8 min read Updated
On this page
  1. Understanding Web of Science Core Collection
  2. The Path to Indexing
  3. The 28 Evaluation Criteria
  4. Application Process
  5. Early Access Content
  6. Rejection and Reapplication
  7. Subject Categories
  8. Journal Impact Factor Considerations
  9. Open Access Journals
  10. Regional and Emerging Journals
  11. Web of Science Readiness Checklist
  12. How Altechmind Can Help

Web of Science Core Collection, managed by Clarivate, is one of the world's most prestigious citation databases. Inclusion signals journal quality and provides access to Impact Factor metrics. However, Clarivate's rigorous 28-criteria evaluation process accepts fewer than 20% of submitted journals. This comprehensive guide explains Web of Science indexing requirements, the evaluation process, and what journals need to prepare for successful applications.

Understanding Web of Science Core Collection

Web of Science Core Collection comprises several citation indexes, each with specific scope:

Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)

Covers over 9,200 journals across 178 scientific disciplines. This is the flagship science index, historically the only science index eligible for Journal Impact Factor (JIF).

Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)

Covers over 3,400 journals across 58 social science disciplines. The flagship index for social sciences research.

Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI)

Covers over 1,800 journals in arts and humanities disciplines. Since 2023, AHCI journals also receive Journal Impact Factors.

Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)

Includes high-quality, peer-reviewed publications that meet Clarivate's 24 quality criteria but haven't yet demonstrated sufficient citation impact for flagship indexes. ESCI journals now receive Journal Impact Factors (since 2023) and appear in JIF category rankings alongside SCIE and SSCI journals.

The Path to Indexing

Understanding the indexing pathway is crucial:

  1. New submissions are evaluated on quality only using 24 quality criteria
  2. Journals meeting quality criteria enter ESCI—the entry point for all new journals
  3. ESCI journals are monitored for impact—when citation activity indicates potential
  4. Impact evaluation uses 4 additional impact criteria to determine flagship eligibility
  5. Journals meeting both quality and impact criteria move to SCIE, SSCI, or AHCI

Important Note (2025): Clarivate has paused impact evaluations since 2022 to focus on quality evaluations and removing compromised content. All new accepted journals enter ESCI. Movement to flagship indexes occurs through periodic reviews based on JCR data.

The 28 Evaluation Criteria

Clarivate uses 28 criteria divided into two categories:

24 Quality Criteria

These criteria evaluate editorial rigor and best practice. Journals must meet all 24 to be indexed:

Publishing Standards

  • Peer Review: Journal must demonstrate a rigorous peer review process
  • Editorial Board: Qualified editorial board appropriate to the journal's scope
  • Governance: Clear editorial governance and decision-making processes
  • Ethics Policies: Publication ethics policies aligned with industry standards (COPE, etc.)

Content Quality

  • Academic Level: Content appropriate for graduate, postdoctoral, and professional research audiences
  • Scholarly Focus: Primary content must be peer-reviewed scholarly material
  • Originality: Articles should present original research or significant reviews
  • Scientific Rigor: Methodology and analysis must meet scholarly standards

Journal Identity

  • Journal Title: Title clearly reflects scope and content
  • ISSN: Valid ISSN properly displayed
  • Publisher Identity: Publisher clearly identified with verifiable business address
  • Publishing Schedule: Clear publication frequency stated and maintained

Presentation Standards

  • Language Quality: English content must be clear and comprehensible to global audience
  • Roman Script: Cited references, names, and affiliations must be in Roman script
  • Article Identifiers: DOIs or other persistent identifiers recommended
  • Metadata Quality: Accurate, complete metadata for all content

Website Requirements

  • Website Accuracy: Information must be accurate and current
  • Navigation: Easy access to published content and journal information
  • Instructions for Authors: Clear, comprehensive submission guidelines
  • Contact Information: Editorial and production contacts accessible

Publishing Practices

  • Timeliness: Content published according to stated schedule
  • Sustainability: Sufficient article volume demonstrating community interest
  • Transparency: Open about editorial processes, fees, and policies
  • Best Practice Compliance: Adherence to industry guidelines and standards

4 Impact Criteria (For Flagship Indexes)

Additional criteria for SCIE, SSCI, or AHCI placement:

  • Citation Activity: Demonstrated citation impact relative to field
  • Author Impact: Authors are cited researchers in their fields
  • Editor Impact: Editorial board members are recognised experts
  • Content Impact: Articles contribute significantly to scholarly discourse

Building Toward Web of Science Indexing?

Professional journal infrastructure demonstrates the editorial rigor evaluators expect. We help journals establish the technical foundation that supports quality publishing.

Explore Journal Development Services →

Application Process

Who Can Apply

Only publishers can submit journals for evaluation through the Web of Science Publisher Portal. Individual researchers, editors, or third parties cannot submit applications. Publishers must create a Publisher Portal account to submit and track evaluations.

Submission Requirements

Applications require:

  • Journal title and ISSN
  • Publisher information with verifiable business address
  • Journal scope and subject category suggestions (up to 3)
  • Full access to journal content for evaluators
  • Contact information for editorial and production staff

Evaluation Timeline

Clarivate does not publish specific timelines. Evaluation duration depends on:

  • Volume of submissions being processed
  • Journal complexity and content volume
  • Availability of appropriate evaluators
  • Responsiveness of publisher to queries

Publishers can track application status through the Publisher Portal.

Technical Evaluation (Onboarding)

Journals passing editorial evaluation undergo technical evaluation:

  • Verification of content delivery capability
  • Testing of data feeds and formats
  • Metadata quality verification
  • Assignment of proper subject categories

Failure to complete technical evaluation within required timeframes may necessitate resubmission for editorial evaluation.

Early Access Content

Web of Science indexes Early Access (EA) content—articles published online before issue assignment. EA eligibility requires:

  • DOI permanently associated with the article
  • Clear Early Access publication date
  • Content meeting NISO definition of Version of Record
  • Fixed layout, text, and cited references

Note: Journals using Continuous Article Publication (CAP) or print-only publication are not eligible for Early Access indexing.

Rejection and Reapplication

Standard Embargo Period

Journals failing quality criteria face a two-year embargo before resubmission eligibility. During this period:

  • Address feedback provided by Clarivate
  • Strengthen areas identified as weaknesses
  • Build a stronger publication record
  • Ensure all current criteria are met

Removal from Coverage

Journals already indexed may be removed if they:

  • Fail to maintain quality standards
  • Violate ethical standards
  • Have compromised content identified
  • Fail to meet technical delivery requirements

In serious cases of editorial standards breaches, published content may be removed from Web of Science entirely.

Subject Categories

Publishers can suggest up to three subject categories during submission. However:

  • Final category assignment is at Clarivate editors' sole discretion
  • Journals may be assigned up to six categories
  • Category changes can be requested after indexing but require evaluation
  • Category change requests may trigger full re-evaluation

Review category scope notes carefully before suggesting categories. Misaligned suggestions may delay evaluation.

Journal Impact Factor Considerations

Current JIF Policy (2025)

  • All Web of Science Core Collection journals receive JIF—including ESCI journals
  • JIF appears in unified category rankings alongside SCIE/SSCI journals
  • AHCI journals now receive JIF (since 2023)
  • JIF displayed to one decimal place to encourage consideration of multiple indicators

JIF Is Not Sufficient for Flagship Placement

High JIF ranking alone does not qualify a journal for SCIE, SSCI, or AHCI. Journals must:

  • Continue meeting all 24 quality criteria
  • Meet all 4 impact criteria
  • Be selected during Clarivate's periodic impact evaluations

Open Access Journals

Clarivate explicitly states that open access status does not affect evaluation:

  • No difference in indexing criteria for OA journals
  • Only content quality and impact are considered, not business model
  • Many OA journals are indexed across all Web of Science indexes
  • Article Processing Charges should be transparently disclosed

Regional and Emerging Journals

ESCI specifically supports journals of regional importance and emerging research areas. Clarivate has increased inclusion of:

  • Journals from underrepresented regions (Africa, South Asia, Latin America)
  • Journals in emerging fields (AI ethics, climate adaptation, digital health)
  • Quality journals with niche or regionally-focused scope

JIF availability for ESCI journals helps "level the playing field" for these journals.

Web of Science Readiness Checklist

Journal Identity & Registration

☐ Valid ISSN registered and properly displayed

☐ Journal title clearly reflects scope

☐ Publisher name clearly identified

☐ Verifiable publisher business address (not P.O. Box)

☐ Publication frequency clearly stated

☐ Journal actually publishes according to stated schedule

Editorial Standards

☐ Peer review process documented and implemented

☐ Editorial board qualified for journal's scope

☐ Board members have verifiable expertise and affiliations

☐ Geographic and institutional diversity in editorial board

☐ Editorial governance clearly defined

☐ Instructions for authors comprehensive and clear

Publication Ethics

☐ Publication ethics policy present and comprehensive

☐ COPE guidelines adherence stated

☐ Plagiarism detection policy and practice

☐ Conflict of interest policy

☐ Corrections and retractions policy

☐ Research ethics requirements (human/animal subjects)

Content Quality

☐ Primary content is peer-reviewed scholarly research

☐ Articles demonstrate scientific rigor

☐ Content is original and contributes to field

☐ Academic level appropriate for research audience

☐ Sufficient article volume demonstrating sustainability

☐ Content matches stated journal scope

Presentation & Language

☐ English content clear and comprehensible

☐ References in Roman script

☐ Author names and affiliations in Roman script

☐ Quality of writing is professional

☐ Figures and tables properly presented

Technical Requirements

☐ DOIs assigned to articles (strongly recommended)

☐ Article metadata complete and accurate

☐ Sequential pagination, article numbers, or DOIs for identification

☐ Full-text content accessible to evaluators

☐ Capability to provide content feeds

Website Quality

☐ Website information accurate and current

☐ Navigation enables easy access to content

☐ All journal features clearly accessible (editorial board, policies, guidelines)

☐ Contact information for editorial and production staff

☐ Back issues accessible

☐ No broken links or error pages

Transparency & Best Practices

☐ Fee information transparent (APCs, submission fees, or no fees)

☐ Open access policy clearly stated (if applicable)

☐ Copyright and licensing terms clear

☐ No predatory publishing characteristics

☐ No misleading claims about indexing or metrics

Red Flag Avoidance

☐ No excessive journal self-citation

☐ No repeat authorship patterns (same authors dominating)

☐ No editorial board authorship concentration

☐ No evidence of compromised peer review

☐ No fake or misleading metrics displayed

How Altechmind Can Help

While indexing decisions rest entirely with Clarivate, professional infrastructure supports successful applications:

OJS Configuration & Optimization

  • Professional Setup: OJS installation configured to support quality publishing workflows
  • Metadata Quality: Proper metadata fields configured for complete, accurate article information
  • DOI Integration: Crossref plugin configuration for DOI registration
  • OAI-PMH Configuration: Proper Open Archives Initiative setup enabling metadata harvesting

Website & Presentation

  • Professional Design: Journal website that presents content professionally
  • Navigation Structure: Logical, clear access to all journal features
  • Policy Pages: Comprehensive policy documentation properly presented
  • Editorial Board Display: Professional presentation with affiliations

Technical Infrastructure

  • Reliable Hosting: Consistent access for evaluators and readers
  • SSL Security: Proper HTTPS configuration
  • Performance: Fast-loading pages and reliable access
  • Email Deliverability: Working editorial communications

What is OAI-PMH?

Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) is a protocol enabling services to harvest metadata from journals and repositories. Proper OAI-PMH configuration:

  • Enables automated metadata collection by indexing services
  • Supports discoverability across aggregator systems
  • Is built into OJS and configurable through journal settings
  • Should expose complete, accurate metadata in standard formats

Build Professional Journal Infrastructure

Altechmind helps journals establish technical infrastructure that supports quality publishing. From OJS configuration to metadata optimization, we build foundations that serve your indexing ambitions.

  • Professional OJS installation and configuration
  • OAI-PMH setup and metadata harvesting configuration
  • DOI registration setup (Crossref integration)
  • Website design with proper information architecture
  • Reliable hosting with performance optimization

Develop Your Journal Discuss Your Goals →

Important Disclaimer

This article provides general guidance based on publicly available Clarivate documentation as of December 2025. Clarivate policies, criteria, and processes are determined at their sole discretion and may change without notice. Always consult the official Clarivate/Web of Science documentation for current, authoritative requirements:

Altechmind Technologies provides technical services for journal infrastructure. We are not affiliated with Clarivate, and our services do not guarantee indexing acceptance. Indexing decisions are made solely by Clarivate based on their evaluation criteria. Fewer than 20% of submitted journals are accepted into Web of Science Core Collection.

Last updated on December 28, 2025

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