Are UGC CARE List Journals Peer-Reviewed and Why Does It Matter?

Publish your research in journals on the UGC CARE List and gain visibility and credibility. But before you submit your paper, be sure it meets the standards of good scientific publishing.

There have been a number of predatory journals in India that engaged in unethical publishing practices. These journals charged authors exorbitant fees for publication without providing proper editorial or peer-review services.

Why It Matters

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has a mandate to ensure academic research integrity and publication ethics in Indian Universities. The UGC Journal list helps in this endeavour.

The quality of research publications is an important factor considered for many academic purposes such as institutional ranking, appointment and promotions of faculty members, membership of academic committees etc. A research paper published in a reputed journal contributes to the overall academic reputation of an institution and its researchers.

To maintain this reputation, the UGC CARE list has two groups that journals must qualify to be listed in:

Group I includes all journals that are found qualified through the CARE protocol. The journals in this group are also indexed on global databases like Scopus and Web of Science. This ensures the quality of the research papers in the journal. Group II includes all other journals that meet the criteria of UGC CARE. This ensures that the research in the journal is of high quality and worthy of international recognition.

Peer-Review Process

The UGC CARE list is a vital resource for researchers to identify legitimate journals. It also helps them avoid predatory journals that engage in unethical practices such as charging exorbitant publication fees without providing any peer review or editorial services. The UGC CARE list is updated regularly to reflect new developments in the publishing landscape.

The process of selecting journals for inclusion in the UGC CARE list involves rigorous scrutiny and an emphasis on academic integrity. This has led to the removal of many predatory journals from the list. As a result, the image of Indian research has been enhanced worldwide.

Publication in a reputable journal can help researchers gain recognition for their work and build their career. It can also lead to career advancement opportunities and open doors for collaborations with other scholars. Furthermore, publications in UGC CARE-listed journals may be cited more frequently than those published in non-recognised journals. The UGC CARE lists are dynamic and are updated quarterly. They include only those journals that have passed the UGC CARE protocols.

Editorial Board

A journal’s editorial board is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the journal. This includes overseeing the peer-review process, as well as establishing and enforcing editorial policies. The editors should also have extensive knowledge of the field in which the journal is published. The editorial board is responsible for selecting reviewers and ensuring that all papers meet the journal’s criteria for publication.

The UGC CARE list is a reference list of quality journals that UGC approves. It was established to promote academic and research integrity, and to prevent publications in dubious or predatory journals. The CARE List is managed by the UGC-Cell for Journal Analysis (UGC-CARE Cell) affiliated with the Centre for Publication Ethics, Savitribai Phule Pune University.

The CARE lists two groups of journals: Group I and group II. Both groups require that the journals are indexed on Scopus and Web of Science. It is also required that the journals have a consistent track record and abide by ethical publishing practices.

Impact Factor

After the emergence of many predatory journals in the academic publishing space in India, UGC-CARE took steps to curb these unethical publications. It developed its own list of high-quality journals that have been verified through strict analysis protocols.

The list contains a number of academic and scientific journals that are indexed in global databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. The journals in the group are reviewed by scientists, academicians and engineers to ensure quality.

While the UGC CARE list is not an exhaustive list, it does provide authors with a list of credible journals in which to publish their work. Additionally, publishing with journals in the UGC CARE list will help authors improve their API score. This is especially important for researchers in the early stages of their careers.