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The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday discontinued the UGC-CARE journal listing and instead, introduced suggestive parameters to help faculty members and students select peer-reviewed journals.
The new guidelines include criteria such as ethical publishing practices, impact factors, citation records, and a specific AI-generated content policy for research publications. In a notice issued on Tuesday, UGC stated, "Based on the recommendations of the expert committee, the Commission, in its 584th meeting held on October 3, 2024, has decided to discontinue UGC-CARE listing of journals and develop suggestive parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals." The decision to discontinue UGC-CARE comes after several criticisms of the system. "Researchers and academicians had raised concerns about over-centralisation in deciding journal quality, delays in updating the list, and the inclusion of predatory journals due to an inefficient vetting process," UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said. The lack of transparency in decision-making and the exclusion of highly respected Indian-language journals were also major issues, he added. Additionally, credible journals were sometimes left out while less credible ones found a place on the list. Researchers faced multiple challenges due to the UGC-CARE list, including pressure to publish in listed journals for career advancement and uncertainty when journals were suddenly removed, the UGC Chairman noted. The new approach recommended by UGC shifts journal evaluation to higher educational institutions (HEIs). UGC has advised HEIs to develop their own institutional mechanisms for evaluating the quality of publications and journals. These mechanisms should align with established academic norms and the indicative parameters suggested by UGC. This decentralised approach allows HEIs to tailor their evaluation processes to suit their specific needs, giving researchers greater academic freedom and flexibility in journal selection. Institutions can now create evaluation models that consider the unique characteristics of different disciplines and accommodate newer, rapidly evolving fields. Under the new system, HEIs also play a crucial role in combating predatory journals. They are responsible for establishing credible mechanisms to evaluate journals and ensure they meet high ethical and scholarly standards. If HEIs fail to create efficient evaluation systems, they risk damaging their institutional reputation by endorsing faculty members who publish in dubious journals. The proposed parameters, developed by a group of experts and academicians, have been placed in the public domain for feedback. "Stakeholders, including HEIs and faculty members, may take note of it," the notice added. Feedback can be submitted via email at journal@ugc.gov.in until February 25, 2025. The suggestive parameters for assessing journal quality include preliminary criteria such as the presence of a valid journal title, an ISSN number for print or online versions, periodicity and continuity in publication, transparent peer review policies, a professionally managed website on a certified domain, and a clear policy on open access or subscription models. Journals should also be integrated with national and international repositories like ONOS and maintain proper archival policies to ensure accessibility to previous issues. The editorial board criteria emphasise the need for members with relevant subject expertise and affiliations, along with a rigorous and efficient editorial and review process that complies with reviewer recommendations and follows clear timelines. The editorial policy of journals must define clear aims, objectives, and scope, specify subject areas, disclose article processing charges, if applicable, and maintain transparency regarding publishing timelines and acceptance rates. To ensure journal quality, articles should demonstrate academic contribution by advancing existing knowledge and providing insights relevant to policymaking. They must align with the journal's stated aims and objectives, adhere to high bibliographic standards, maintain a professional layout, include high-quality visuals and exhibits, and have a strong citation record in reputable databases. The journal's print and online availability, website quality, and multilingual accessibility, especially in the Indian context, are also key considerations. Research ethics guidelines require journals to enforce ethical publishing practices, maintain plagiarism prevention standards with acceptable similarity scores, and ensure transparency in conflict-of-interest disclosures among governance members, editorial boards, reviewers, and authors. Journals are also expected to define their policies regarding AI-generated content. UGC has also set parameters for journal visibility and impact, including the journal's impact factor, indexation in reputed databases, self-citation scores within a prescribed range, total citation rate, and cite score over a specific period. Higher Educational Institutions have been asked to use these parameters to select peer-reviewed journals that align with their specific research focus areas. In the notice, the UGC has also advised HEIs to establish internal review committees to fine-tune these parameters over time to ensure continued adherence to quality standards. (ANI)
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