Published 16 September 2026
How to check indexing of a scientific publication
The sentence “the journal is indexed” is incomplete. The database must have covered the relevant year and document type, and the specific article should then be located. A journal may have entered later or ceased coverage earlier.
Define the object
Prepare the DOI and complete article details, or the journal title and ISSN. Name the database being checked; results from unrelated platforms should not be combined into one undefined indexing label.
Check coverage and the article record
Find the journal in the official source list and inspect coverage years. Then search for the article by DOI, title and author. If only the journal card is available, the conclusion concerns that source and not the individual article.
Describe unavailable access accurately
A subscription barrier, request limit or temporary error does not mean that no record exists. Save the date, method and actual response. A later repeat can differ as the database is updated.
Example
A database source card shows journal coverage from 2019 through 2022, while the article under review was published in 2023. The card supports historical journal coverage, not indexing of that article. A positive finding needs the article record itself or coverage that explicitly includes 2023.
Verification sources
- Scopus SourcesElsevier interface for checking source coverage and coverage years.
- Web of Science Master Journal ListClarivate journal list and edition/coverage information.
- PubMedBiomedical literature records maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Directory of Open Access JournalsDirectory and article records for eligible open-access journals.