Four Systems, Four Distinct Roles
UGC is a regulator in India; what it provides today are suggestive parameters to help pick a transparent, peer-reviewed journal, not an approval list that stays live. Scopus and Web of Science are distinct commercial indexes of selective coverage, handling bibliographic and citation data; Elsevier runs the first and Clarivate the second, and each has an evaluation committee of its own. DOAJ is an independent open-access journal directory that verifies transparency and OA compliance but does not measure citation impact. Since none of these four is a subset or a stand-in for another, how a journal fares in one tells you nothing certain about the rest. Keep a short record of which source supports each claim you rely on.
Predatory or careless journals depend on readers not checking when they present one system as proof of another, for example by implying that UGC alignment means Scopus indexing, or that a DOAJ listing means UGC recognition.
The Comparison Table
| System | Main role | Operated by | Identifier? | DOI provider? | Selective evaluation? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGC | Regulatory guidance for Indian institutions | University Grants Commission, India | No | No | No live list; suggestive parameters only |
| Scopus | Bibliographic/citation index | Elsevier | No | No | Yes — its own committee |
| Web of Science | Bibliographic/citation index | Clarivate | No | No | Yes — 28 criteria, its own committee |
| DOAJ | Open-access journal directory | DOAJ (independent nonprofit) | No | No | Yes — transparency/OA criteria |
| ISSN | Publication identifier | National ISSN centres | Yes | No | No |
| Crossref | DOI registration infrastructure | Crossref (nonprofit) | No | Yes | Membership/content rules, not journal ranking |
| Google Scholar | Scholarly discovery | No | No | Technical/algorithmic crawling |
UGC, in Detail
India's regulator for higher education is the University Grants Commission (UGC). It kept the UGC-CARE list for a number of years, and many institutions treated that list as a benchmark when judging journals. After choosing in October 2024 to stop updating it, UGC formally closed the listing framework with a public notice dated 16 July 2025. In its place came suggestive parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals (editorial governance, policy transparency, peer review, ethics and visibility), not a maintained approve/reject list.
UGC does not index journals, issue identifiers or operate a citation database. It provides regulatory guidance for Indian institutions and is not a bibliographic system that can be compared with Scopus or Web of Science.
Scopus, in Detail
Scopus, which Elsevier operates, is a commercial bibliographic and citation database with selective coverage. A journal submits an application, and the Content Selection and Advisory Board of Scopus judges it by set criteria, including peer-review policy, publication regularity, ISSN, English-language accessibility for an international readership and an ethics statement. Coverage can later be re-evaluated and, in certain cases, withdrawn.
Meeting a minimum bar never guarantees Scopus indexing; it is a competitive, continuing evaluation. Check any indexing claim directly at Scopus Sources.
Web of Science Explained in Detail
Web of Science, operated by Clarivate, is the nearest counterpart to Scopus — a separate and independently curated citation index. Clarivate says it evaluates journals using 28 criteria, made up of 24 quality criteria and 4 impact criteria. Its coverage tiers are ESCI, SCIE, SSCI and AHCI, each with its own scope. Web of Science coverage is wholly independent of Scopus coverage, so a journal may be in one, in both, or in neither.
Check any Web of Science claim directly in the Clarivate Master Journal List.
DOAJ, in Detail
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) is a standalone, non-profit directory rather than a citation index. Its checks confirm that a journal is truly open access, openly states its peer-review approach, licences, ownership and charges, and satisfies basic publishing-ethics requirements. Citation impact is outside its remit, and unlike Scopus or Web of Science it does not act as a ranking of quality. When you see a DOAJ badge, read it as a statement about transparency only.
A DOAJ listing shows that a journal cleared a transparency and OA-compliance review; it tells you nothing about whether the same journal is in Scopus or Web of Science, or will ever get there.
Frequent Mix-Ups to Avoid
- Believing that a DOAJ listing means coverage in Scopus or Web of Science, which it does not
- Assuming a UGC-suggestive-parameters statement is the same as a live UGC Parameters status — the live list was discontinued
- Believing Scopus and Web of Science use one shared journal list, when different companies run them with separate evaluations
- Believing that having an ISSN or a DOI means a journal is indexed in any of these four systems, when identifiers and indexes are unrelated things
- Relying on a logo shown on a journal's homepage rather than looking the journal up in the database's own source list
Using Journal Evaluation Systems Without Mixing Them Up
UGC guidance, citation databases and open directories each answer a different question. These habits stop you from drawing the wrong conclusion from any one of them when you shortlist journals.
- Write down your actual question. Decide whether you need to satisfy an institutional rule, find citation data or confirm open access practice. Naming the question first tells you which system is relevant and which can be ignored.
- Search the source, not the journal. A journal's own page can summarise its listings in flattering ways. Look the title up directly in each system, using the exact title and the identifier number, and note what you find.
- Distinguish journal level from article level. Being present in a database says something about the publication, not about the quality of your individual paper. Your article is still judged on its method, evidence and clarity.
- Beware of look-alike titles. Similar journal names are common, so match the identifier number and publisher as well as the title. A listing for a neighbouring journal does not transfer to the one you are considering.
- Ask your assessors what they accept. Promotion committees, funders and research offices have different expectations. Ask which sources they rely on, and plan your publication choices around those requirements rather than around assumptions.
Match each system to the question it answers, verify at the original source, and let your own assessors define what counts for your career.
Which System Answers Your Question?
| Question | Look at |
|---|---|
| Will my Indian institution recognise this journal? | Your institution’s own rules and the suggested parameters from UGC |
| Does a selective citation database cover the journal? | Scopus or Web of Science |
| Does an open access journal follow good-practice criteria? | DOAJ |
| What is JMVRA's position? | Indexed on Google Scholar; not in Scopus, WoS or DOAJ |
JMVRA and UGC
FAQs on UGC / Scopus / WoS / DOAJ
Does UGC work like Scopus?
No. UGC is a regulator that offers suggestive parameters, whereas Scopus is a commercial citation database with a selection committee of its own.
Is DOAJ the same thing as Scopus?
No. DOAJ checks open-access transparency, while Scopus assesses content and citation impact. A journal may appear in either, in both, or in neither.
If a journal is in DOAJ, will it be accepted by Scopus?
No. The two are fully independent processes, and one does not lead on to the other.
Is Web of Science identical to Scopus?
They do similar jobs but belong to different companies (Clarivate and Elsevier), each with its own criteria and coverage.
Is a journal aligned with UGC eligible for Scopus automatically?
No. UGC's parameters and the selection criteria of Scopus are two entirely separate assessments.
Does the UGC-CARE list still operate?
No. A public notice dated 16 July 2025 formally ended it, and suggestive parameters took its place.
Which of these four systems issues DOIs?
Not one of them directly; DOI registration is a separate service run by Crossref.
Is it possible for a journal to be UGC-aligned and in DOAJ yet absent from Scopus?
Yes. These are independent assessments and follow no set order.
Does Scopus or Web of Science index JMVRA?
Google Scholar, CrossRef, Semantic Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, BASE, Scilit, ROAD and OpenAlex all index JMVRA, whereas Scopus and Web of Science do not. For any journal's claims, go to the database's own source and confirm them yourself.
How can I check a Scopus or Web of Science claim for myself?
Look the journal up directly in Scopus Sources or the Clarivate Master Journal List, and never accept a logo on a homepage as evidence.
Does UGC run an indexing database?
No. UGC is a regulator, and what it published was guidance on how to choose journals.
Is it possible to be in DOAJ without being in Scopus?
Yes. The two systems are separate and apply different criteria.
Related Searches
Check It at the Source
Judge a Journal by Real Evidence
Confirm each claim where it originates, and then look at JMVRA's own current and verifiable indexing before you submit.
Submit Paper OnlineAt-a-Glance Checklist
- Identify the systemWork out which one a claim means
- Confirm at the sourceNever trust a logo
- UGC position up to dateParameters took over from the list
- Recognition verifiedAsk your institution
- Date every claimCoverage can change
How JMVRA Measures Up to UGC’s 35 Suggested Parameters
UGC’s Annexure-I, the final version attached to its 16 July 2025 notice, groups 35 parameters into 8 categories (the February 2025 draft had 36). By JMVRA's own assessment, 28 are met, 2 are partly met, 3 are not published and 2 are not applicable, with each one explained.
Source: UGC public notice on CARE journals (PDF) · more is on JMVRA & UGC parameters.
Ready to Publish? Submit to JMVRA
JMVRA is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
JMVRA is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of the UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, and in alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines, JMVRA is aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
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