In the ever-evolving landscape of scholarly publishing, visibility and accessibility play pivotal roles. For authors, publishers, and researchers, ensuring that their work reaches a global audience is paramount. This is where journal indexing databases and search engines come into play, acting as gateways to the vast realm of academic literature. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the intricacies of these indexing systems, shedding light on their significance, key players, and how publishers can optimize their Open Journal Systems (OJS) based journals for seamless inclusion.
I. The Landscape of Journal Indexing Databases and Search Engines: The scholarly world is home to a myriad of indexing databases and search engines, each with its unique features and focus areas. Understanding these platforms is crucial for publishers aiming to maximize the visibility of their journals and articles.
Table: Journal Indexing Databases Overview
Name | Discipline(s) | Description | Access Cost | Guide | Link |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PubMed | Medical | Biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life sciences | Free | PubMed User Guide | PubMed |
Scopus | Multi-disciplinary | Abstract and citation database covering science | Subscription | Scopus Quick Reference Guide | Scopus |
Web of Science | Multi-disciplinary | Citation index covering journals across sciences | Subscription | Web of Science Help | Web of Science |
Google Scholar | Multi-disciplinary | Broadly searches scholarly articles, theses, books | Free | Google Scholar Help | Google Scholar |
IEEE Xplore | Engineering | Digital library for electrical engineering, computer science | Subscription | IEEE Xplore Help | IEEE Xplore |
ScienceDirect | Multi-disciplinary | Scientific, technical, and medical research | Subscription | ScienceDirect Help | ScienceDirect |
JSTOR | Multi-disciplinary | Digital library for academic journals, books, and primary source materials | Subscription | JSTOR Support | JSTOR |
ProQuest | Multi-disciplinary | Aggregator of academic content including journals, dissertations, newspapers | Subscription | ProQuest Support | ProQuest |
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) | Multi-disciplinary | Open access journals | Free | DOAJ Guide | DOAJ |
ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) | Education | Education literature and resources | Free | ERIC Help | ERIC |
PsycINFO | Psychology | Psychology and related disciplines | Subscription | PsycINFO Help | PsycINFO |
ACM Digital Library | Computer Science | Full-text collection of ACM publications | Subscription | ACM Digital Library Help | ACM Digital Library |
SpringerLink | Multi-disciplinary | Journals, books, and reference works | Subscription | SpringerLink Help | SpringerLink |
Taylor & Francis Online | Multi-disciplinary | Journals, books, and reference works | Subscription | Taylor & Francis Online Help | Taylor & Francis Online |
Wiley Online Library | Multi-disciplinary | Journals, books, and reference works | Subscription | Wiley Online Library Help | Wiley Online Library |
Hindawi | Multi-disciplinary | Open-access scholarly articles | Free/Open Access | Hindawi Support | Hindawi |
BioMed Central | Medical | Open-access biomedical and life sciences journals | Free/Open Access | BioMed Central Support | BioMed Central |
Nature Journals | Multi-disciplinary | High-impact scientific and medical journals | Subscription | Nature Journals Help | Nature Journals |
arXiv | Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science | Open-access repository for preprints | Free | arXiv Help | arXiv |
SSRN (Social Science Research Network) | Social Sciences | Working papers in social sciences | Free | SSRN Support | SSRN |
EconLit | Economics | Economic literature, including journals and working papers | Subscription | EconLit Help | EconLit |
IEEE Computer Society Digital Library | Computer Science | Journals, magazines, and conference proceedings | Subscription | IEEE Computer Society Digital Library Help | IEEE Computer Society Digital Library |
Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) | Multi-disciplinary | Directory of academic open-access repositories | Free | OpenDOAR FAQ | OpenDOAR |
EMBASE | Biomedical | Biomedical and pharmacological literature | Subscription | EMBASE Support | EMBASE |
arXiv | Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science | Open-access repository for preprints | Free | arXiv Help | arXiv |
SSRN (Social Science Research Network) | Social Sciences | Working papers in social sciences | Free | SSRN Support | SSRN |
EconLit | Economics | Economic literature, including journals and working papers | Subscription | EconLit Help | EconLit |
IEEE Computer Society Digital Library | Computer Science | Journals, magazines, and conference proceedings | Subscription | IEEE Computer Society Digital Library Help | IEEE Computer Society Digital Library |
Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) | Multi-disciplinary | Directory of academic open-access repositories | Free | OpenDOAR FAQ | OpenDOAR |
EMBASE | Biomedical | Biomedical and pharmacological literature | Subscription | EMBASE Support | EMBASE |
SpringerLink | Multi-disciplinary | Journals, books, and reference works | Subscription | SpringerLink Help | SpringerLink |
Taylor & Francis Online | Multi-disciplinary | Journals, books, and reference works | Subscription | Taylor & Francis Online Help | Taylor & Francis Online |
Wiley Online Library | Multi-disciplinary | Journals, books, and reference works | Subscription | Wiley Online Library Help | Wiley Online Library |
Hindawi | Multi-disciplinary | Open-access scholarly articles | Free/Open Access | Hindawi Support | Hindawi |
BioMed Central | Medical | Open-access biomedical and life sciences journals | Free/Open Access | BioMed Central Support | BioMed Central |
Nature Journals | Multi-disciplinary | High-impact scientific and medical journals | Subscription | Nature Journals Help | Nature Journals |
arXiv | Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science | Open-access repository for preprints | Free | arXiv Help | arXiv |
SSRN (Social Science Research Network) | Social Sciences | Working papers in social sciences | Free | SSRN Support | SSRN |
EconLit | Economics | Economic literature, including journals and working papers | Subscription | EconLit Help | EconLit |
IEEE Computer Society Digital Library | Computer Science | Journals, magazines, and conference proceedings | Subscription | IEEE Computer Society Digital Library Help | IEEE Computer Society Digital Library |
Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) | Multi-disciplinary | Directory of academic open-access repositories | Free | OpenDOAR FAQ | OpenDOAR |
EMBASE | Biomedical | Biomedical and pharmacological literature | Subscription | EMBASE Support |