Web of Science Journal Selection
Which Web of Science index your university actually counts, and a journal checked against it.
A rule saying “publish in a Web of Science journal” looks like one requirement, but in practice it covers several indexes. The Web of Science Core Collection keeps separate indexes for science, for social sciences and for arts and humanities. There is one more index for emerging sources. And every university decides for itself which of these it will accept. So a paper that clears the rule in one department can fail it in another department of the same university.
For this reason we don’t start Web of Science work with the manuscript. First we read your university’s rule and find out which Core Collection indexes it covers. Only after that we shortlist journals. Social science and humanities scholars need this step most. SSCI and AHCI journals follows different habits from science journals, and much of the advice written for “SCI journals” does not fit them.
When we know the index, we give feedback on your manuscript like for any selective journal. Then it goes for review, mostly three to eight months as per the journal’s own speed.
Quick answers
- What do I get with Web of Science journal selection?
First you get a written note that maps your university’s rule to the Core Collection indexes the rule accepts (SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI). Next we give three to five journals, each one checked on the Master Journal List. Then someone from your own field reviews the paper, we check your formatting against the house style, and when the reviewer comments arrive we explain them and review your replies.
- How long will the process take?
Requirement check plus shortlist is 3–6 working days. The manuscript review takes 2–5 weeks, and formatting about a week. After you submit, peer review till first decision is 2–6 months. Some AHCI journals take longer than that.
- Can you promise publication before my deadline?
No. Acceptance is decided by independent peer review, and that usually needs three to eight months. Suppose someone else is promising you a fixed date. Get a free check from us before paying them.
- Will I get a similarity report?
Yes. Every draft comes with one. We also match each reference and each quotation against the original source. We work towards the limit set by your university and by the journal, but we don’t promise any particular number.
- How do I get started?
Book the free consultation. Send your regulation and the manuscript along with it. After that you get a fixed written quote. It lists every stage with its revision rounds, and it says whether feedback on a second round of revision is in the scope.
Scope
What’s included
You can take any stage separately. Many scholars need only the requirement check and the journal shortlist. Some others want our feedback from the first draft till the final decision. We discuss about it at the start.
Requirement check
We go through your university or department rule along with you, and connect its wording to the exact Core Collection indexes. Where the wording is unclear, we mark it, so you can get it confirmed in writing before submission.
Journal shortlist by index
You get three to five journals from the index your rule accepts, and every one is checked on the Master Journal List. Against each journal we write down its coverage, the publisher, how review is done and whether authors pay any charges.
Discipline-specific manuscript review
The reviewer is a person who publishes in your own area. For a humanities paper the focus is on argument and theory. Social science papers get checked for design and measurement, and science papers for methods and results.
Formatting check and submission checklist
We check the paper against the house style of the target journal and mark what needs fixing. That includes the Chicago, MLA or APA variants many SSCI and AHCI journals use. You draft the cover letter and whatever declarations the journal asks for, and we review them before you submit from your own account.
Help with reviewer comments
When the reviews come, we explain each comment. You write a point-by-point response and the revised manuscript, and we review both. A second round is covered only if you opted for it when the scope was set.
Quality
How quality is verified
These are the checks every piece of work goes through before it reaches you.
Rule mapped to an index, in writing
You get a short note from us before any journal name comes up. It quotes your regulation, says which indexes it seems to accept, and lists what to confirm with your department.
Core Collection edition verified
For each journal we look at the Master Journal List for the exact edition (SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI). The ISSN, publisher and website must also match. We check this on the day we suggest the journal, and one more time just before you submit.
Reviewer from your discipline
History papers go to a historian. Economics papers go to an economist. Writing habits change so much from one part of the Core Collection to another that a general review does not help much.
Similarity report and source checks
Each draft comes with a similarity report. Every reference and quotation is also checked against its source. Humanities papers built on close reading of texts need this check the most.
Post-publication indexing check
After your paper is published, we show you how to find its record in Web of Science yourself. Then you have direct proof to show your committee.
Time
Realistic timelines
Time taken is very different across the Core Collection. Humanities journals especially may take long time to review, and some of them bring out only a few issues in a year.
| Stage | Typical time | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement check and journal shortlist | 3–6 working days | Us, and your department if clarification is needed |
| Manuscript review and feedback | 2–5 weeks | Us and you |
| Formatting check and submission checklist | 1 week | Us |
| Editorial screening | 1–6 weeks | The journal |
| Peer review to first decision | 2–6 months; longer at some AHCI journals | The journal and its reviewers |
| Revision and final decision | 1–4 months | You, then the journal |
| Publication and appearance in Web of Science | Weeks to months after acceptance | The journal and Clarivate |
Which one counts
The four Core Collection journal indexes
Mostly when a university rule says “Web of Science”, it means these journal indexes. The Core Collection also has indexes for conference proceedings and for book citations, but rules count those far less often.
| Index | What it covers | Journal Impact Factor | How universities tend to treat it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCIE | Science, technology, medicine, agriculture | Yes | Widely accepted, and many times this is what “SCI” means in circulars |
| SSCI | Social sciences (economics, management, education, psychology and more) | Yes | Widely accepted for social science PhDs |
| AHCI | Arts and humanities (history, literature, philosophy, languages) | Yes, since the 2023 JCR release | Accepted where the rule mentions Web of Science in general, or names AHCI |
| ESCI | Journals in all subjects that meet Clarivate’s quality criteria but not its extra impact criteria | Yes, since the 2023 JCR release | Varies the most. Some rules take any Core Collection index, while others name only SCIE and SSCI |
Why ESCI causes the most confusion
ESCI journals belong to the Web of Science Core Collection, and Clarivate’s editorial quality checks have passed them. From the 2023 release of Journal Citation Reports they also have a Journal Impact Factor. So some people started calling them “SCI” journals. But they are not in SCIE. Will an ESCI paper satisfy your requirement? It depends fully on the wording of your university’s rule, so read the rule itself and decide from there.
How to verify a journal yourself
- On the Master Journal List, search with the journal’s ISSN and don’t depend on the title only.
- Open the entry and see which Web of Science Core Collection edition is written there.
- Match the publisher and website shown in the entry with the site where you are going to submit. A fake copy of a website can use the same title and ISSN, but the publisher record on the Master Journal List stays correct.
- Does your rule ask for an impact factor or a quartile? Then check it in Journal Citation Reports, usually through your university library, and not on the journal’s own website. Quartiles are explained in our metrics guide.
Science scholars whose rule names SCIE specifically can read our SCI / SCIE journal selection guidance page. It covers that index in more detail.
Pricing
How pricing works
Every piece of work is quoted separately. A requirement check with a shortlist takes a few days only, but feedback on a manuscript for an AHCI journal can go on for months, through the review rounds. That is why you get a fixed quote once we have seen your regulation and your manuscript. We agree on it in writing before starting anything.
A good number of Web of Science journals don’t charge authors at all. This is more common in humanities and social sciences. If a journal has an article processing charge, you pay it to the publisher directly.
What the quote depends on
- Which stages you need
- Your discipline, and the conventions of the index you are targeting
- How far the manuscript is already developed
- Length, notes and the reference apparatus, which can be heavy for humanities papers
- Whether you want feedback during revision included from the beginning
Every quote includes
- A written scope listing exactly what will be delivered
- A fixed price agreed before any payment
- Payment in stages, tied to delivery
- Revision rounds stated in the scope
Process
How it works
Free consultation
A call or message with a specialist in your subject. We review your material and say plainly whether we are the right fit.
Written scope and quote
You get a written scope, a timeline and a fixed price. Work and payment begin once you agree to it.
Staged delivery
Work arrives in stages you review, each with a similarity report where text is involved. You pay stage by stage.
Revisions and hand-over
Revision rounds are included. At the end you get the final files, and an explanation of anything you’ll need to defend.
Keep reading
Guides and related services
How to choose a journal for your paper
Scope, indexing, speed and fees: a shortlisting method that avoids desk rejection and predatory journals.
Impact factor, quartiles and h-index, explained
What each metric measures, where to look it up, and which ones on a journal website are unofficial.
How to spot a predatory journal
A checklist to run before you submit anywhere — and what to do if you’ve already submitted.
SCI / SCIE Journal Selection Guidance
Targeting SCIE journals properly: verified indexing, honest feedback on your manuscript, and help reading reviewer comments.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is an ESCI journal a Web of Science journal?
Yes, ESCI is inside the Web of Science Core Collection. But for your requirement, the wording of your university’s rule decides. A rule that says “SCI/SSCI” probably does not include ESCI. A rule that says “Web of Science indexed” may include it. Get your department to confirm in writing.
Do ESCI and AHCI journals have impact factors?
They do. With the 2023 release of Journal Citation Reports, Clarivate gave the Journal Impact Factor to all Core Collection journals, and that includes ESCI and AHCI. Till then only SCIE and SSCI journals got one.
Can you promise a Web of Science publication within my deadline?
That we can’t do, since independent peer reviewers decide on acceptance. Usually it takes three to eight months, and humanities journals can take more. If your deadline is close, tell us in the free consultation itself. We will say frankly what is possible, and which other options your rules might allow.
The journal says it is on Web of Science but I can’t find it on the Master Journal List. What now?
Mostly it is one of three things. The journal may be in some database on the Web of Science platform which is not part of the Core Collection. It may have been removed. Or the website itself may be a copy of a genuine journal’s site. Find out which one it is before submitting. You can use our predatory journal checklist, or send us the details and we check it free.
What happens if the journal is removed from Web of Science after I publish?
Generally the content Clarivate already indexed stays there, only the new issues of that journal are not added after removal. Your university will still accept your paper or not, that is for the university to decide. Just before you submit we look at the journal’s status again. That much we can do from our side for this risk.
Do you write the paper, or add a co-author with Web of Science publications?
No to both. You write the paper. Each person named as an author has to have contributed to the research. Authorship stays with you and the people who really worked with you. Nobody from our team goes on the author list. We only support the work you are doing, and how we do that is written in our ethics policy.
Will my manuscript be kept confidential?
Yes. Your paper is seen only by the reviewer assigned to it, and it is used for your project only. We delete it on request after the work ends, and we will sign a non-disclosure agreement if you want.
Talk it through with a specialist for free
Send us where you are and what you need. We’ll reply within one working day with clear advice, a written scope and a fixed quote. No obligation.
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