Editorial selection process

The robust evaluation and curation of our data make the Web of Science Core Collection™ the world’s most trusted publisher-independent global citation database.

Curated by an expert team of in-house editors, the Web of Science Core Collection is a trusted, high-quality, definitive database for journals, books, and conference proceedings. We are guided by the legacy of Dr Eugene Garfield, inventor of the world’s first citation index: we remain true to his principles of objectivity, selectivity and collection dynamics, but also adapt and respond to technological advances and changes in the publishing landscape.

A unique curation process

  • Publisher neutral
    Our editorial decisions are conducted by our expert in-house editors who have no affiliations to publishers or research institutes – removing any potential bias or conflict of interest.
  • Category knowledge
    Each editor is focused on specific subject categories, enabling them to gain a deep, nuanced knowledge of journals in that field.
  • In-house curation
    Our rigorous process for the Web of Science Core Collection contrasts with that for other databases that rely on algorithmic approaches and/or delegating aspects of editorial decision-making to the research community.

The Web of Science Core Collection selection process

The basic principles of our selection process are objectivity, selectivity and collection dynamics. Our selection processes are designed to ensure that only trustworthy publications and reliable content are covered in our indexes.

Journals

We use a single set of 28 criteria to evaluate journals: 24 quality criteria designed to select for editorial rigor and best practice, and four impact criteria designed to select the most influential journals in their respective fields.

Books

We use a single set of 18 quality criteria designed to select for editorial rigor and best practice.

Conference Proceedings

We use a single set of 26 quality criteria designed to select for editorial rigor and best practice.

Editorial Policies, Category Change Requests, and Appeals Process

 

 

How to submit

Journals

To submit journals for evaluation, use the Web of Science Publisher Portal.

Please note: Only publishers are granted access to the Publisher Portal to submit journals for evaluation or track progress of evaluations. The Publisher Portal should only be used to submit evaluation requests for journals not currently indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection.

Books

Publishers interested in submitting books for evaluation should email us at ClarivateEditorialBookRequests@Clarivate.com to receive information on how to establish a partnership with BKCI.

Please note: only publishers can submit books and enquire about evaluation status.

Conference Proceedings

Publishers interested in submitting conference proceedings for evaluation should email us at ClarivateEditorialBookRequests@Clarivate.com to receive information on how to submit.

Please note: only publishers can submit conference proceedings and enquire about evaluation status.

Meet the team

Dr Nandita Quaderi

Senior Vice President, Clarivate & Editor-in-Chief, Web of Science

London

Nandita has oversight of the Web of Science editorial division, the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and the Research Professional News team. She has overall responsibility for editorial strategy, selection of Web of Science content and inclusion in Journal Citation Reports (JCR).

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Anna Treadway

Executive Editor, Web of Science

London

Anna’s responsibilities include management of the Web of Science editors to define best practice, implement standard operating procedures and to promote unity across the global editorial team.

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Esheeta Mangalpara

Deputy Executive Editor, Web of Science

London

Esheeta’s responsibilities include management of the Web of Science editors to ensure consistent application of editorial policies, as well as managing workloads and priorities across the global editorial team.

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Dr Adrienne Tyrey

Editorial Manager, Books & Conference Proceedings, Web of Science

Philadelphia

Adrienne leads the Web of Science book and conference proceedings selection team, developing policy and workflows to ensure consistent and efficient content selection.

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Helene Stewart

Director of Editorial Relations, Web of Science

Cambridge

Helene leads the Web of Science Editorial Relations team responsible for communications with publishers relating to Web of Science editorial policy and procedures.

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Dr Mireia Guardingo

Head of Editorial Outreach, Web of Science

Barcelona

Mireia is responsible for ensuring our editorial policies, selection process and evaluation criteria are clearly understood.

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Tim Gardner

Head of Editorial Systems, Web of Science

Barcelona

Tim’s responsibilities include driving the development of the processes and systems used by the global editorial team, along with the improvement of internal and external reporting.

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Editorial Disclaimer

As an independent organization, Clarivate does not become involved in and is not responsible for the editorial management of any publication or the business practices of any publisher. Publishers are accountable for their publications’ performance and compliance with ethical publishing standards. The views and opinions expressed in any publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Clarivate. Clarivate allows journals, books, proceedings volumes, publishers, institutes, and authors to specify their address and affiliation details including territory.

Criteria for selection of any submitted titles and re-evaluation of existing titles in the Web of Science are determined at the sole discretion of Clarivate. If a publisher’s editorial policy or business practices negatively impact the quality of a publication or its role in the surrounding literature of the subject, Clarivate may decline to include the publication in any Clarivate product or service. Clarivate, in its sole discretion, may remove or deselect a publication or journal from coverage (including a content already indexed in the Web of Science) at any point if the publication or journal fails to maintain our standard of quality, does not comply with ethical standards, or otherwise does not meet the criteria determined by Clarivate. The publication will have no further content indexed from a date determined by Clarivate in its sole discretion.

Books or proceedings volumes may be removed from Web of Science indexing if the content is later found to have major flaws that affect the quality of the Web of Science database.

Clarivate’s decision on all matters relating to content maintained in the Web of Science collections will be final.