Journal Selection and Indexing Policy
Bharat Citation Index (BCI) is a national bibliographical and citation database. The basic purpose of developing BCI is multifold. The scholarly disciplines are concentrated relatively in small number of journals as propounded in Bradford's Law.
Policy Framework
Following this principle, "Bharat Citation Index (BCI)" Journals Selection Policy is formulated and continues to be the guiding force and principle for the Journal Selection Process of BCI.
Our policy ensures that only high-quality; research-oriented journals that meet to our stringent selection criteria are index in the BCI database, maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and scholarly excellence.
BCI Journal Selection Criteria
In today's competitive world India needs a robust 'National Citation Database' to have a realistic measurement tool. Also, India has a strong need to come over on such existing foreign databases which are highly biased in their coverage and journals selection policy.
National Citation Database
National Citation Database of the India (Bharat), strongly needed for comprehensive measurement and evaluation of Research Performance of individuals, institutions, universities, councils and other R&D bodies/institutions, etc. of the country for strategic planning, decision making and development.
Quality Standards Enhancement
BCI is to inculcate the quality standards in journals published from India by rendering the required guidance, support and advisory to Indian journals publishers.
Initial Journal List
Initially to start with BCI, we have prepared a list of about 1000+ index-able quality journals published from India and for this purpose, adopted the following method.
Multi-Factor Evaluation
The BCI considers multiple factors when evaluate journals for its indexing ranging from qualitative to quantitative parameters. These include - Basic publishing standards; editorial context, practice followed; focus on whether the journal coverage is National and International; Citation Analysis metrics, etc. No single factor is considered in standalone manner, but in combination and interrelations thereof, we determine the journal's overall strengths and weaknesses and accordingly take decision to index it or not index in BCI.
Ethical Publishing Practices
Strong evidence of unethical policies and practices such as predatory publishing or editorial instructions or advisories, or any other fraudulent practices, etc. if followed by a journal that does not get indexed in BCI. In case of a journal already indexed in BCI that can be discontinued or dropped immediately on finding such unethical publishing practices.
Indian Publication Requirement
A journal should be published from India irrespective of its publisher's origin.
Timeliness of Publication
Timeliness of publication is a basic condition in the evaluation and selection of a journal for indexing in BCI. Thus, timeliness of a journal is of primary and paramount importance. Journal must be publishing according to its defined frequency.
Research-Oriented Nature
A journal should be of Research oriented nature for BCI indexing and therefore, popular journals or magazines do not considered for indexed in BCI.
Peer Review Process
A journal should be well blind peer reviewed because peer-review process is another indication of journal standard and that signifies its overall quality and integrity of the research. The published and the completeness of bibliographic elements, especially cited references are important to measure the quality of a publication.
Regular Publication Schedule
A journal should be regular, on time with its defined time schedule. BCI does not index irregular journals or serials.
Minimum Age Requirement
A journal should be at least three years old in its age while submitted for getting it indexed in BCI, because journals born and die too fast. Also, based on three years data of a journal, citation analysis of that journal can be examined or judged for the selection of a journal for indexing.
Editorial Expertise
The editors and reviewers should be professional in approach, expert in their respective research domain to examine and oversee the required quality and standard of the journal. Also, there should be diversity of editors and reviewers (Inter-institutional) according to focus of the journal, like national or international.
Author Diversity
There should be diversity in contributing Author(s) affiliations with complete address details thereof. The research articles to be published in an issue of a journal should be from diverse institutions and organizations.
Reference Quality
The appended references to an article should be relevant, complete, preferably from Indian publications if found so and all be rigorously examined by the editors and reviewers of the journal.
Citation Analysis
For citation pattern -- we use Citation Analysis to determine the importance, visibility and influence of a journal in the surrounding literature of its subject. Citation data and metrics are interpreted and understood in the editorial context of the journal under evaluation.
Regional Language Requirements
For regional/local language documents/journals, at least all bibliographical meta data details like title, authors, affiliations, abstract & keywords along with references used to write the document should be in English language. The full text article may be in any language.
Publisher Reputation
BCI also evaluates or considers the reputation & authority of journal's publisher, and availability & popularity of a journal.
Content Exclusions
BCI does not index literature/material - like Digests; Book Reviews; News and Views; Abstracts; Announcements; Advertisement; from the desk/chairman/president, etc.
Mass Publishing Prevention
BCI does not index journals which are working as mass level articles publishing machines. Of late it is the emerging trend of some OA journals working as mass publishing machines. However, if inadvertently such journals have been indexed, that will be dropped immediately after noticing this kind of unethical publishing practice.
Article Count Standards
Though, there is no defined limit to publish scholarly articles in an issue of a journal, however, as per worldwide practice the average number of articles in good scholarly journals is 15 ± 3 articles per issue leaving some exceptional special cases or occasions, etc.
Print-Online Consistency
BCI has observed that in some of the cases, there is article difference between print and online accessible copies available on site. BCI does not index such journals, however if inadvertently such journal have been indexed, that will be dropped immediately after noticing this kind of discrepancy.
Post-Publication Changes
In OA journals, some are updating respective sites with addition or deletion of articles after publication of that particular issue. If such journal come in BCI notice, that will be dropped and notified immediately to all stakeholders.
Regional Development Support
In addition to above mentioned parameters, BCI being multidisciplinary in nature and scope, we consider little relax standard in journal selection particularly for those emanating from less developed disciplines and regions of the country wherein scholarly activities are at its developing stage, such as Sport Science, Media, etc. and J&K and North East regions of the country.
International Diversity
The journal's contributing authors, editors, and editorial advisory board members should be from diverse institutes and areas appropriate for the journal's target audience. If the journal's content is aimed at an international audience then we expect to find an internationally diverse group of authors, editors and editorial advisory board members contributing to it.
ISSN Requirement
A journal should publish at least one issue per year and should carry the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN).
Quality Improvement Support
BCI's one of the basic intents is to catalyze and support quality improvement of journals published from India. In order to do this and maintain transparency & objectivity, BCI solicits evidence-based views/feedback/comments, etc. from all users, editors, reviewers, publishers, etc. with respect to predatory nature and quality of journals indexed in BCI.
World Publishing Standards
Overall quality of a journal should be comparable to the world publishing standards.
Nationalistic Approach
We need to inculcate a nationalistic feeling of self-reliant and approach & mindset in scholarly authors of India.
Key Principles
Quality Assurance
BCI maintains the highest standards of quality by implementing rigorous evaluation criteria that assess both qualitative and quantitative parameters of journal performance.
- Peer review process verification
- Editorial board expertise assessment
- Citation analysis and impact evaluation
- Regular publication schedule compliance
Ethical Standards
BCI is committed to maintaining ethical publishing practices and actively prevents the inclusion of predatory or fraudulent journals in our database.
- Anti-predatory publishing measures
- Editorial integrity verification
- Author diversity requirements
- Transparent indexing criteria
Questions About Journals Selection Policy?
For more information about our journal selection criteria and indexing process, please contact our editorial team.
Email: bcicitation@gmail.com
