WhatsApp

Journal Verification

  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Journal Verification
UGC norms 2025 • ISSN • DOI • Indexing

Journal Verification: Is This Journal Valid?

Select a journal and see every parameter that decides whether it is valid — UGC’s eight Suggested Parameters plus ISSN, Crossref DOI, open access, charges, ethics, Scopus and Web of Science — with the evidence for each.

Verify a journalAll parametersJournal Finder
Step 1 — select a journal

Select a Journal to Verify

Every parameter is shown with its status and a link to the evidence. Status words: Verified (documented, with a link to the evidence on the journal’s own site or the register), Not indexed (checked and not the case — stated openly).

IJCRT logo

International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT)

ISSN 2320-2882 · Established 2013 · Monthly · Multidisciplinary · all subjects · CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI

UGC norms 2025

Valid journal — meets all 8 of UGC’s eight Suggested Parameters, each verified on this site.

The UGC-CARE list itself was discontinued on 3 October 2024; UGC now asks institutions to judge journals against the eight Suggested Parameters below.

UGC Suggested Parameters — IJCRT
ParameterStatusEvidence
Journal preliminariesA valid ISSN, a regular publishing schedule that is honoured, a stated peer-review policy and a working, secure website. VerifiedISSN 2320-2882, monthly issues with every past issue in the archive, published review policy, HTTPS website. Check
Editorial boardNamed experts with verifiable credentials and full institutional affiliations. VerifiedEditors and reviewers listed with names and institutional affiliations. Check
Editorial policyA clearly defined scope, transparent charges published in advance, and realistic review timelines. VerifiedScope and article types in the author guidelines; charges published in advance and payable only after acceptance. Check
Content qualityAcademic relevance, proper citation standards and a real contribution in what the journal publishes. VerifiedEvery issue open to read in full, so the standard can be inspected. Check
Journal standardsConsistent structure, formatting, metadata and production quality across issues. VerifiedPublished paper format and a complete metadata record for every article. Check
Research ethicsPlagiarism screening, an AI-use policy, and published positions on authorship, conflicts, corrections and retractions. VerifiedSimilarity screening before review; COPE-aligned ethics, correction and retraction policies. Check
Journal visibilityPresence in recognised databases and discovery services, verifiable at the database itself. VerifiedIndexed in Google Scholar, CrossRef, OpenAIRE, OpenAlex, ROAD, ResearchGate, Scilit and Zenodo. Check
Impact criteriaCitation performance described with the metric named and its provider stated. VerifiedImpact Factor 09.17, from Google Scholar citation data, with the provider named. Check
Other norms — ISSN, DOI, open access, ethics and indexing
NormStatusEvidence
Registered ISSNThe ISSN resolves to this exact title on the ISSN Portal or ROAD. VerifiedISSN 2320-2882 — check it on the ISSN Portal. Check
Crossref DOIPublished articles carry a Crossref DOI that resolves at doi.org. VerifiedRegistered Crossref member; DOIs available for published papers. Check
Open access & licenceArticles are free to read, under a stated licence such as CC BY 4.0. VerifiedOpen access under CC BY 4.0. Check
Charges published up frontThe full fee is stated before submission and charged only after acceptance. Verified₹1501 (Indian authors) · $59 (international) — payable only after acceptance. Check
Publication ethics (COPE)Ethics, correction and retraction policies follow COPE guidance. VerifiedCOPE-aligned ethics, authorship and conflict-of-interest policies. Check
Archive & preservationEvery past issue stays online; articles are preserved independently (e.g. Zenodo). VerifiedComplete archive online; articles preserved on Zenodo. Check
ScopusOnly true if the ISSN appears on the official Scopus Sources list. Not indexedNot indexed in Scopus — stated openly. Check
Web of ScienceOnly true if the journal appears on the Clarivate Master Journal List. Not indexedNot indexed in Web of Science — stated openly. Check
Not a cloned siteThe website, ISSN and publisher match each other — cloned journals copy titles, not registrations. VerifiedWebsite, ISSN and publisher match; official domain ijcrt.org. Check
You can publish your paper in IJCRTPublication charge ₹1501 (Indian) · $59 (international), payable only after acceptance.
Publish your paper in IJCRT →ijcrt.org
What makes a journal valid

All Parameters of a Valid Journal

UGC’s eight Suggested Parameters (approved 24 June 2025) and the other norms universities, funders and indexing services check.

1

Journal preliminaries

A valid ISSN, a regular publishing schedule that is honoured, a stated peer-review policy and a working, secure website.

2

Editorial board

Named experts with verifiable credentials and full institutional affiliations.

3

Editorial policy

A clearly defined scope, transparent charges published in advance, and realistic review timelines.

4

Content quality

Academic relevance, proper citation standards and a real contribution in what the journal publishes.

5

Journal standards

Consistent structure, formatting, metadata and production quality across issues.

6

Research ethics

Plagiarism screening, an AI-use policy, and published positions on authorship, conflicts, corrections and retractions.

7

Journal visibility

Presence in recognised databases and discovery services, verifiable at the database itself.

8

Impact criteria

Citation performance described with the metric named and its provider stated.

Other norms to check

Registered ISSN

The ISSN resolves to this exact title on the ISSN Portal or ROAD. Check

Crossref DOI

Published articles carry a Crossref DOI that resolves at doi.org. Check

Open access & licence

Articles are free to read, under a stated licence such as CC BY 4.0. Check

Charges published up front

The full fee is stated before submission and charged only after acceptance.

Publication ethics (COPE)

Ethics, correction and retraction policies follow COPE guidance. Check

Archive & preservation

Every past issue stays online; articles are preserved independently (e.g. Zenodo).

Scopus

Only true if the ISSN appears on the official Scopus Sources list. Check

Web of Science

Only true if the journal appears on the Clarivate Master Journal List. Check

Not a cloned site

The website, ISSN and publisher match each other — cloned journals copy titles, not registrations.

Any journal, anywhere

How to Verify a Journal in 7 Steps

1

Check the ISSN at the register

Search the ISSN on the ISSN Portal. The registered title and publisher must match the journal’s own site exactly.

2

Match the website to the registration

Cloned journals copy a real title on a different domain. Confirm the domain is the one listed by the publisher and in the ISSN record.

3

Read the editorial board

Look for named editors with institutions you can confirm independently — not names without affiliations.

4

Read the peer-review and ethics policies

The review model, timelines, plagiarism screening, AI use, corrections and retractions should all be published.

5

Verify every indexing claim at the source

Scopus and Web of Science claims against the official lists (see our Scopus and Web of Science reference pages), DOIs on Crossref. Never trust a logo.

6

Confirm the charge before submitting

The full fee must be published in advance and charged only after acceptance.

7

Ask your institution

Universities apply their own written criteria since the UGC-CARE list was discontinued. Get the rule that applies to you in writing.

Warning signs

Red Flags of a Fake or Predatory Journal

Guaranteed acceptance or publication in days

Real peer review cannot be promised in advance.

Payment requested before review

A genuine journal charges only after acceptance.

“UGC CARE approved 2026” badges

No current CARE list exists — it was discontinued in October 2024.

Scopus or Web of Science logos without a verifiable record

An image proves nothing; the ISSN must appear on the official list.

An editorial board without affiliations

Names alone cannot be checked.

A title that almost matches a known journal

Cloned sites change a word or the domain.

Keep researching

Journal Research Hub

Questions and answers

Journal Verification FAQs

How do I verify whether a journal is valid?
Check its ISSN on the ISSN Portal, confirm the website matches the registration, read the editorial board and policies, verify any indexing claim on the indexing service’s own site, and confirm the fee is published and charged only after acceptance.
What are UGC’s new norms for journals?
After discontinuing the UGC-CARE list on 3 October 2024, UGC approved eight Suggested Parameters on 24 June 2025: journal preliminaries, editorial board, editorial policy, content quality, journal standards, research ethics, journal visibility and impact criteria.
Is there still a UGC CARE approved journal list?
No. The listing was discontinued. Institutions now judge journals against the Suggested Parameters and their own written criteria.
Is IJCRT a valid journal?
Yes. IJCRT meets all eight UGC Suggested Parameters, and each one is documented on this site with a link to the evidence. It is not indexed in Scopus or Web of Science, and says so openly.
What do “Verified” and “Not indexed” mean?
Verified: documented, with a link to the evidence on the journal’s own site or the official register. Not indexed: checked and not the case — IJCRT, IJRAR, IJNRD, JETIR and IJSDR all state openly that they are not indexed in Scopus or Web of Science.
Are IJRAR, IJNRD, JETIR and IJSDR valid journals?
Yes. Each meets all eight UGC Suggested Parameters, verified with links to the evidence on its own site: IJRAR (ISSN 2348-1269), IJNRD (ISSN 2456-4184), JETIR (ISSN 2349-5162) and IJSDR (ISSN 2455-2631).
How do I check Scopus or Web of Science indexing?
Search the ISSN on the official Scopus Sources list and on the Clarivate Master Journal List. See our Scopus and Web of Science guides.
Which journal should I choose for my paper?
Use the Journal Finder to rank the journals by your subject and requirements.
Citations

IJCRT Impact Factor and Google Scholar Metrics

The Impact Factor is calculated from the journal’s Google Scholar citation data (h-index based). It is not a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor.

9.17Impact Factor · Google Scholar data

Google Scholar profile: 61,542 citations and an h-index of 96 (all years), read on 30 Sep 2026.

Open the Google Scholar profile ↗ · How it is calculated →

Google ScholarAll yearsSince 2021
Citations61,54242,713
h-index9675
i10-index1,3411,040
UGC & UGC-CARE

UGC’s New Recommendations: Where IJCRT Stands

IJCRT is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, IJCRT is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals. UGC public notice (PDF)

35 suggestive parameters in 8 groups

Annexure-I of UGC’s notice. IJCRT reports 28 met, 2 partly met, 3 not published and 2 not applicable — with the reason for each.

Journal preliminary criteria8/9
Repository integration partly met
Editorial board criteria3/3
Journal editorial policy4/5
Acceptance rate not published
Content quality2/2
Journal standards6/7
Print continuum not applicable (no print edition)
Research ethics4/4
Journal visibility1/2
Not in Scopus / Web of Science / DOAJ
Journal impact criteria0/3
Self-citation and total citation rate not published; CiteScore not applicable

UGC circulars and notices

Parameter-by-parameter evidence

Indexing & discovery

Where IJCRT Is Indexed and Discoverable

Verified links open the journal’s own record at the service; Search links open a search on a sharing platform. Not indexed in Scopus or Web of Science — stated openly.

Indexing

Where the journal or its articles are formally listed or registered.

Crossref Verified

DOI registration agency — metadata for every DOI-registered paper is deposited here.

Check record ↗

DOI prefix 10.56975 Verified

A permanent Digital Object Identifier on request, so a paper stays citable.

How it works →

ISSN Portal Verified

The journal’s serial registration — ISSN 2320-2882, held with the ISSN International Centre.

Check record ↗

ROAD Verified

The ISSN Centre’s directory of open access scholarly resources.

Check record ↗

Zenodo Verified

Open repository at CERN — archived IJCRT records.

Check record ↗

Scholar9 Verified

Transparent peer-review registry — where the journal’s review certificate is recorded.

Check record ↗

Discovery

Where researchers find, read, save or share published articles.

Google Scholar Verified

Search and citation tracking — the source of the citation data behind the Impact Factor.

Check record ↗

OpenAlex Verified

Open index of works, authors and citations — the successor to Microsoft Academic’s data.

Check record ↗

ORWave Verified

Open Research Wave — open-access journal and research discovery platform.

Check record ↗

Academia.edu Verified

Academic sharing platform with reader analytics for each uploaded paper.

Check record ↗

Semantic Scholar Search

AI-powered search that surfaces papers by meaning, citation and influence.

Search ↗

ResearchGate Search

Research network where authors share papers and readers follow their work.

Search ↗

Every record, with live counts: Indexing & Discovery details · Indexing Verification

Licences & standards

Licences, Access and Recognition

ISSN registeredOpen AccessTransparent peer reviewCreative Commons CC BY 4.0
  • LicenceCC BY 4.0 — read, share and adapt with credit
  • CopyrightRetained by the authors
  • AccessFree to read — no paywall, no embargo
  • EthicsPolicies follow COPE guidance

ISSN Registered • Open Access • Transparent Peer Review • Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 • Copyright policy

Originality

Plagiarism Detection: Turnitin & iThenticate

Every submission is screened for similarity before peer review, and the similarity report is available to the author on request. The accepted similarity threshold is below 15%.

Turnitin

Similarity check against published literature, web content and submitted work.

Similarity check → Plagiarism policy →

iThenticate

Turnitin’s service for publishers and researchers, with AI-writing detection available.

Sample report → AI-use policy →
Ready to publish?

Publish With a Journal You Can Verify

Double-blind peer review, similarity screening, Crossref DOIs on request under 10.56975, open access under CC BY 4.0 and alignment with UGC’s Suggested Parameters — with a fee of ₹1501 (Indian authors) or $59 (foreign authors), charged only after acceptance.

Submit your paper in IJCRTCall for papersAuthor guidelines
For reference

Scopus and Web of Science Journal Lists

If your institution requires Scopus or Web of Science, choose from the official lists — and always verify by ISSN.

Scopus Indexed JournalsHow to find and verify a Scopus journal Scopus Journals ListReference list of Scopus source titles Web of Science JournalsSCIE, SSCI, AHCI and ESCI, by index and subject Web of Science Journal ListWhat each index covers and how to check
Research & Publication Timeline
Indexed, Abstracted & Author Benefits
Just ₹1501
Publish in a UGC CARE Approved Journal | Low Cost ₹1501 Indian Author | 🌐 $59 USD International
CrossRef DOI Google Scholar Transparent Review ISSN Registered 1–2 Days UGC CARE
Submit Paper →