Indexing verification
Is This Journal Indexed? Check PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science
A journal can appear in one database but not another, and a claim such as “indexed” may describe past coverage, a single article, or a different service entirely. Use this guide to check the exact status.
Reviewed by the Beallslists.com editorial desk · Evidence checked: · Review cycle: 2026
Start with the ISSN, not the logo
Journal websites often display many database names. Some are legitimate indexes, some are discovery services, and some claims are outdated. Before checking anything, record the journal’s exact title, print ISSN, electronic ISSN, publisher and website. An ISSN is especially useful when several journals have similar names.
Then search the official source directly. Do not treat a screenshot, certificate or footer badge as proof.
How to check PubMed and MEDLINE
- Open the NLM Catalog.
- Search the journal title or ISSN.
- Open the full journal record.
- Read the fields showing where the journal is included and its current indexing status.
- Check coverage dates when shown.
The presence of a bibliographic record in the NLM Catalog does not by itself mean the journal is currently indexed in MEDLINE. NLM explicitly distinguishes catalog records from current MEDLINE indexing, and its records can also show PubMed/PMC participation.
How to check Scopus
- Use Scopus Sources or the official Source title list.
- Search by ISSN where possible.
- Open the Source details page.
- Check the coverage years and coverage status.
- If coverage is discontinued, note the years that remain indexed.
A journal may have older material in Scopus even after forward coverage has stopped. Elsevier states that discontinued titles remain part of the scientific record in most cases, so “I found articles in Scopus” is not enough to prove active coverage.
How to check Web of Science
- Open Clarivate’s Master Journal List.
- Search by ISSN or exact journal title.
- Open the journal record.
- Check which Web of Science collection or index includes the title.
- If a Journal Impact Factor is claimed, verify that separately through Clarivate/JCR information.
“Web of Science” can refer to several collections. For authors, the exact collection often matters because institutional rules may distinguish SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI.
What about PMC, DOAJ, Crossref and Google Scholar?
PubMed Central (PMC) is a full-text archive and is not identical to MEDLINE. DOAJ is a directory for open-access journals that meet its criteria. Crossref is important for DOI metadata but is not a quality ranking or journal index in the same sense as Scopus or Web of Science. Google Scholar is a broad scholarly search engine and should not be described as equivalent to selective journal indexing.
Common indexing mistakes
- Checking only the journal’s own indexing page.
- Searching by a common title and opening the wrong journal.
- Assuming a database logo means current coverage.
- Confusing article-level presence with journal-level inclusion.
- Ignoring discontinued or historical coverage.
- Confusing PubMed, MEDLINE and PMC.
- Calling Crossref, Google Scholar or ResearchGate a selective journal index.
- Assuming a metric such as SJR or CiteScore proves current coverage without checking the source record.
Indexing questions researchers ask
Can a journal be in PubMed but not MEDLINE?
Yes. PubMed includes citations from more than MEDLINE alone, including content deposited through PMC. Check the NLM Catalog for the journal’s exact status.
Can a discontinued Scopus journal still have Scopus articles?
Yes. Previously indexed content can remain in Scopus after forward coverage is discontinued.
Does Web of Science indexing mean the journal has an Impact Factor?
Do not assume so from the phrase alone. Check the journal in Clarivate’s Master Journal List and verify the current JIF information separately.
Official sources used for verification
Use first-party databases and recognized publishing-ethics guidance for current checks. A logo or a claim on a journal website is not a substitute for an official record.