INDEXED JOURNALS: CHARACTERISTICS, CRITERIA, INFLUENTIAL EXAMPLES - SCIENCE - 2024

The indexed journals are scientific publications that have been listed within a globally consulted database. They are high quality works in which academic works are developed that have undergone a selection and analysis process by these institutions.

Inclusion in these specialized indexes offers prestige and greater visualization and accessibility to articles from different countries. Some examples of indexed journals are Journal of biological chemistry (USA), The Lancet (Netherlands) or Nature Research (UK).

Indexed journals are considered to have a higher scientific quality than unlisted ones. Source: pixabay.com

To define the entry of a journal to these bases, a series of indicators such as research excellence, the technical characteristics of its content, the references used and its impact within the scientific community are evaluated.

To be part of these lists, editors must identify those that coincide with their subject field, submit their work and achieve periodic and permanent inclusion.

The indexed publications are considered to have a higher scientific quality than those that are not cataloged.

Characteristics of indexed journals

Indexed journals are characterized by the high quality of their academic work, research excellence, and their impact within the scientific community.

Quality of academic work

Within these criteria it is valued that the publication includes original and unpublished articles, precise and verifiable technical data, detailed information about the authors and their experience, summaries about the content, the use of keywords and the translation into several languages.

On the other hand, it is also important that the magazine has a specific periodicity and regularity, as well as a defined and recognized editorial line.

Research excellence

At that point, it is expected that the academic results will be the fruit of a methodical exploration, using specific demonstration systems to assert the validity of the article.

Also that they are carried out based on original hypotheses, the study and a verification that refers to the facts themselves, regardless of their own way of thinking or feeling.

Impact on the scientific community

To calculate the impact of a post, the number of readings and citations it has received from other users is generally analyzed.

The exchange achieved with other peers in the same scientific field and its worldwide visibility are also evaluated.

Definition

According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the word index refers to the action of orderly recording data and information to create an index. The same derives from the Latin "index", which can be translated as "pointer" or "pointer".

In the academic field, its use refers to a criterion or method to facilitate consultation.

How to know if a journal is indexed

Indexing implies that the journal has gone through a selection process that guarantees the quality of its content. Source: pixabay.com

There are currently several indexing services in the world. Some are associated with academic institutions, others are offered directly by publishers, and there are also cooperative projects that operate through the internet.

Most of these databases apply analysis and evaluation criteria to the publications. Others, on the other hand, include in their catalogs all the available works, in order to facilitate their location and consultation.

When a journal is entered in one of these indexes, the institution makes it available to its readers and followers. This information may contain only the title, a summary of the articles or the full texts.

To find out if a journal is indexed, just consult the corresponding databases, which can be paid or freely accessible. In turn, publications usually include markers with the indexes in which they were included.

Faced with an increasingly saturated publishing world and full of alternatives, indexing is an interesting option for magazines to gain visibility and prestige.

Its inclusion in these bases implies that it has undergone a selection process that guarantees the quality of its content and its reputation as a reliable source of information.

Database examples

Latindex

It is a regional online information system for scientific journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal. It has a directory that offers bibliographic and contact data for all registered journals, as well as a catalog made up of publications with the highest quality standards.

SciELO

It is an online electronic scientific library, which allows the publication of complete editions of journals and their access by titles, subject and author. It is an undertaking of the Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and the Latin American and Caribbean Center for Information on Health Sciences.

PubMed

It is a huge database of biomedical research articles and publications, offered by the National Library of Medicine of the United States.

Scopus

It is a bibliographic database of abstracts and citations of articles from scientific journals, offered by the Elsevier publishing house.

Take care

It is a bibliographic database of the Index Foundation, which includes works on health care in the Ibero-American scientific space. It contains articles from scientific journals, books, monographs and other documents whose contents have been previously evaluated by a committee of experts.

Other recognized databases are Ebsco, Ulrichweb, Clarivate Analytics, ISI Web of Knowledge, Periódica, Doaj, Lilacs, and Mathematical Reviews.

List of influential indexed journals

Among the most influential indexed journals are:

Journal of biological chemistry

It is a publication of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the United States. It deals with subjects on biology and biochemistry.

It is the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. Includes original, high-impact research on biology, physics, and social sciences.

Nature Research

It is a UK publication that offers its own research, as well as reviews, critical comments, news and analysis on various disciplines.

Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS)

It is a magazine of ACS Publications, of the United States, on research and advances in the field of chemistry.

Angewandte Chemie

It is a magazine of the German Chemical Society, known for being one of the main publications on this matter in the world.

The Lancet

It is an independent journal on medicine from the Netherlands.

Physical Review B

It is a journal on physics from the United States, publishing approximately 100 new high-quality articles each week.

References

1. Martin, A. (2018). What is an indexed magazine? Definition and requirements. San Juan de Dios Library. Aragon province. San Rafael. Spain.
2. Metropolitan University of Education Sciences. Indexed Magazines. Santiago de Chile. Available at: umce.cl
3. Laindex. Regional Online Information System for Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal. Available at: latindex.org
4. National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (2012). Ranking of magazines worldwide. Available at: conicyt.cl
5. Felquer, LV (2001). Scientific journals: Their importance as an instrument of science communication. National University of the Northeast. Chaco. Argentina
6. Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). Available at: rae.es