UGC-CARE Guidelines for Journals

To be included and maintained in the UGC-CARE List, journals must comply with the following quality and ethical standards:

1. Peer-Reviewed and Refereed

• Must implement a transparent peer-review process (preferably double-blind).
• Review policy should be clearly described on the journal's website.

2. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

• Follow COPE guidelines.
• Declare plagiarism policy, conflict of interest, authorship norms, and retraction procedures.

3. Valid ISSN

• The journal must have a valid ISSN issued by the ISSN National Centre in India.

4. Editorial Transparency

• Full names, affiliations, and roles of editorial board members must be published online.
• Fake or honorary names are not permitted.

5. Clear Contact Information

• Provide verifiable address, email, and phone number of the publisher/editorial office.

6. Regular Publication Schedule

• Follow a consistent and declared publishing frequency.
• Irregularities can lead to delisting.

7. Professional Website

• Include journal scope, author guidelines, archives, DOI details, and call for papers.

8. Plagiarism Check

• Use reliable tools like Turnitin, iThenticate, or URKUND.
• Acceptable similarity index: less than 10–15%.

9. Ethical Citations

• Avoid predatory citations.
• Encourage citations from credible sources.

10. Transparent Publication Charges

• Clearly mention any publication or processing fees.
• No hidden or misleading charges.

11. Avoid Predatory Practices

• No duplicate or fake publications.
• Do not claim fake indexing or affiliations.

12. Indexing and Archiving

• Preference for journals indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, Crossref, DOAJ, etc.
• Use archiving platforms like LOCKSS or PORTICO.

13. Open Access Licensing (if applicable)

• Use appropriate Creative Commons licenses.
• State the access policy transparently.

14. Accuracy in Information

• Do not use misleading terms like "UGC Approved"—only "UGC-CARE Listed" is valid.
• Avoid usage of fake impact factors (e.g., RJIF, GIF).

15. Relevance and Inclusivity

• Ensure the journal has relevance to Indian academic needs and encourages inclusive scholarship.