Indexing verification
How to Check If a Journal Is Indexed
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
Check a journal by ISSN
Open the Journal Indexing Checker
Check available NLM evidence and open official verification routes for Scopus, Web of Science and DOAJ.
Quick answer: verify the journal in the official database
To check whether a journal is indexed, search its exact title or ISSN in the official source for the database being claimed. Use Scopus Sources for Scopus, the Clarivate Master Journal List for Web of Science, and the NLM Catalog for MEDLINE/PubMed-related journal information. Check the current coverage dates and status; a journal logo, certificate, old article or database badge is not enough.
Have a journal to check?
Use the Journal Checker to record the title, ISSN, website and verification evidence before submission.
Best identifier
Search by ISSN whenever possible. Similar journal titles and title changes can otherwise lead to the wrong record.
Where to check journal indexing
| Indexing claim | Official source to check | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Scopus | Scopus Sources / official source list | ISSN, source title, coverage years and whether forward coverage is active |
| Web of Science | Clarivate Master Journal List | Exact journal record and collection such as SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI |
| MEDLINE / PubMed | NLM Catalog | Journal-level status, MEDLINE indexing information and PubMed/PMC participation where shown |
| DOAJ | DOAJ | Exact journal title, ISSN and current directory record |
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 Some are legitimate indexes, some are discovery services, and some claims are outdated.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.
Current indexing versus historical coverage
A journal can have articles in a database without being actively covered today. Always distinguish current journal-level indexing from historical coverage, discontinued coverage or the presence of individual articles.
- Current coverage: the official source shows that the journal is presently covered.
- Historical coverage: older years remain searchable, but that does not prove new issues are being indexed.
- Discontinued coverage: a database may retain past records after forward coverage has stopped.
- Article-level presence: finding one paper does not automatically prove journal-level inclusion.
For Scopus specifically, see what “discontinued in Scopus” means.
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.
Journal indexing questions researchers ask
How do I know whether a journal is indexed or not?
Search the exact journal title or ISSN in the official database being claimed and check the current coverage or indexing status.
How do I check if a journal is Scopus indexed?
Search the journal or ISSN in Scopus Sources and confirm the source record, coverage years and whether current coverage is active.
How do I check if a journal is indexed in Web of Science?
Search the exact title or ISSN in Clarivate’s Master Journal List and note the specific Web of Science collection shown.
How do I verify PubMed or MEDLINE indexing?
Use the NLM Catalog and read the journal-level record carefully. PubMed, MEDLINE and PMC are related but are not identical.
Does Google Scholar mean a journal is indexed?
Google Scholar is a broad scholarly search engine. Inclusion there is not equivalent to selection for Scopus, MEDLINE or Web of Science.
Can a journal be indexed in Scopus but not Web of Science?
Yes. Databases use different selection systems, so a journal may be covered by one and not another.
Can indexing status change?
Yes. Journals may be added, discontinued or have limited coverage, so verify the current official record rather than relying on an old claim.
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.
Two different claims to verify
Google Scholar visibility does not establish journal legitimacy. Separately, check journal preservation and archival coverage.
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