Verify the exact title and ISSN in each index's official source record, then check coverage years and current status. A matching name on a journal website, screenshot or third-party list is not enough.
Use an identity-first workflow
- Capture the journal identity. Record the full title, print ISSN, electronic ISSN, publisher and journal URL.
- Search the official source. Use Scopus Sources, the Web of Science Master Journal List or DOAJ as relevant to the claim being checked.
- Confirm coverage. Distinguish current coverage, historical coverage, discontinued coverage and records under editorial review.
- Report the exact evidence state. State which index was checked, the date checked and what the record showed.
Indexing claims are time-sensitive
Source records can change. Scopus identifies coverage years and notes that displayed coverage is not a commitment to continued coverage. Clarivate publishes current journal coverage and changes through the Master Journal List. DOAJ applies its own inclusion criteria for open-access journals. These systems answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable endorsements.
Worked use case
A journal claims “indexed in Web of Science” but the Master Journal List shows only historical coverage ending before the proposed publication year. Report the historical coverage and the date boundary. Do not describe the journal as currently covered for the planned article.
Evidence boundary
Indexing in one database does not establish that every article is indexed, that coverage will continue, or that the journal is suitable for a particular institution, discipline or submission. Institutional rules and the article's publication year still require separate checks.
Official sources
- Elsevier Scopus Support Center. Using the Scopus Sources feature. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- Clarivate. Web of Science Master Journal List. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- Directory of Open Access Journals. Guide to applying and inclusion criteria. Retrieved 4 August 2026.