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UGC CARE List Journals: Journal Verification, Selection & Publication Support
The UGC-CARE list is not being updated anymore, but there remain various university, PhD, faculty, and other institutional publication requirements for researchers. IdeaLaunch helps you find, verify, and shortlist credible peer-reviewed journals according to your research focus, indexing, journal credibility, and institutional requirements—and guides you during the preparation and submission of your manuscript.
UGC CARE List Status: Latest Updates & Researcher Guidance
The UGC-CARE List is no longer being updated. Hence, researchers have to distinguish the CARE List from the current indexing status and institutional publication requirements.
| Question | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Is the UGC-CARE List being updated? | No. The latest update was in October 2024. |
| Has UGC discontinued further updates? | Yes. Subsequently, UGC announced that the list will no longer be updated. |
| Is the CARE portal operational? | Yes. The portal is still accessible for information purposes only. |
| Does the portal represent a current list of journals? | No. The portal is not a continually updated list of current recognized journals. |
| What guidance is there at present? | UGC has published suggestive parameters for recognizing good peer-reviewed journals and recommended that institutions formulate proper guidelines accordingly. |
| Do universities still refer to CARE-listed journals? | Some universities may be continuing to mention CARE-listed journals in their guidelines and regulations. Researchers are advised to confirm this in their latest institutional guidelines. |
Essential Checks for Selecting a Research Journal
Before deciding to publish in a journal, verify:
Beyond the UGC CARE List: The New Journal Selection Challenge
Selecting a journal is no longer about finding an old UGC-CARE-listed title but requires assessing journal credibility, current indexing, research scope, publishing ethics, and institutional requirements before submitting your manuscript.
Common Problem
Old UGC-CARE data — The CARE lists published earlier keep circulating on the web and might be outdated.
OUR SOLUTION
Journal appraisal — We analyze current data related to journals and assist in differentiating between the previous CARE status and current indexing and institutional requirements.
Common Problem
University-specific criteria — Each university might have specific publication requirements that need to be met.
OUR SOLUTION
Institutional requirement evaluation — We analyze your university’s current publication criteria and use them for journal selection.
Common Problem
False indexing claims — Some journals claim their indexing but may not have it anymore.
OUR SOLUTION
Verification at the source level — We verify it using sources such as Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, discipline-specific sources, etc.
Common Problem
Mismatch between manuscript content and journal scope — Even a good paper can get a desk rejection if it does not match the journal’s aims and scope.
OUR SOLUTION
Research-to-journal matching — The topic, methodology, article type, and contribution of the manuscript are compared with potential journals.
Common Problem
Fake or cloned journals — Some websites may impersonate authentic journal names, ISSN, publishers, editors, and editorial information.
OUR SOLUTION
Journal verification — We verify the ISSN, the publisher, editorial information, website information, and other criteria before submission.
Common Problem
Publication timeline — Researchers may have to decide on a reliable journal within an academic time limit.
OUR SOLUTION
Journal shortlisting and submission assistance — We compare suitable journals and help with manuscript formatting, submission, reviewing, and revisions.
Practical implication: In cases of ambiguity regarding the requirement, a journal that is currently listed in Scopus/Web of Science but used to be in CARE has the lowest regulatory risk. If such journals are not available for your requirements, a credibility assessment against UGC criteria is the way forward. Researchers with higher-tier targets can also explore our support for SCI-indexed journals and Q1 journals.
Expert Journal Selection & Verification Services
We do not pay for your journal inclusion and maintain no list to influence you. We begin with your manuscript and institutional requirements.
Matching Research With Journals
Your abstract, methods, and contribution are compared to the published works in candidate journals.
Journal Evaluation
Each candidate journal is evaluated according to UGC parameter categories and integrity tests, along with proof to help justify your selection in front of your supervisor/DC committee.
Indexing Verification
Verification of indexing in Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, PubMed, or subject-specific databases, including years of indexing, so that you can verify your publication year.
Identification of Predatory Journals
Screening for cloned journal names, fake metrics, and other baseless claims, with reasons recorded. You can also review our list of free journal finder tools for preliminary checks.
Institutional Requirement Analysis
We look at your university’s PhD or CAS circular and convert that to selection constraints before any recommendations.
What You Receive From Our Journal Support
- Identification and scoping of journals – A selection of journals from your field, methodology, and contributions
- Verification of the journal identity – ISSN, publishers, web domains and cloned journals
- Verification of the credibility and indexing of the journal – Source-level, editorial board, and peer review check
- Shortlisting of journals – Three to five selected journals compared for relevance, deadlines, charges, indexing and risks
- Preparation of manuscript for submission – Templates, references, cover letter and declaration, with proofreading and editing and plagiarism checking as required
- Support with responding to reviewer comments and revisions – Drafting and resubmission plan
- Recommendation of journals post-rejection – the next suitable journal and changes required.
We Match Your Research With the Right Journal
STEP-01
Understanding your research
We review the manuscript to understand your field, methodology, novelty, and audience.
STEP-02
Analysing your requirements
University’s circular, department’s expectations, deadline, and charge restrictions.
STEP-03
Journal selection
The selected list of journals from indexing databases and specific to the discipline.
STEP-04
Verification of journals.
ISSN, publishers, editorial boards, peer review process, ethics, current indexing, clones
STEP-05
Compare alternatives
A side-by-side comparison with a preferred order of submission.
STEP-06
Prepare submission
The submission process includes format, cover letter, declarations, checklist, and reviewer response assistance.
Why IdeaLaunch Is a Trusted Research Publication Partner
13+ Years of Research & Publication Expertise
Experienced Academic & Publication Experts
Specialization in Research on Specific Topics
One-on-One Personal Guidance
India-wide & International Research Services
Research with Ethics & Confidentiality
Full Service of Publication Support
What Our Scholar's Say
What You Can Expect From Our Publication Support
| What we offer | What we don’t guarantee |
|---|---|
| Identifying, evaluating, and shortlisting journals. | Guaranteed publications only by editors and reviewers |
| Verification of ISSN, publisher, editorial board, indexing, ethical considerations | Guaranteed acceptance timelines – controlled by the journal itself |
| Preparation, formatting, and Language Quality | Guaranteed peer-review results |
| Guidance in submission and documents | Guaranteed UGC recognition – institutions take decisions |
| Drafting and editing of reviewer responses | Guaranteed placement in a specific journal |
If you have received an offer of guaranteed publication in “UGC CARE journal” – consider that a red flag for both the service and the journal.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The last update took place in October 2024, and no further updates will be made. However, the portal is still available for information.
Verify the ISSN, the journal’s publisher, the editorial board, the policy on peer reviews, and its indexing through official sources. Also check your university’s requirements.
No. UGC CARE is a list of Indian academic references, while Scopus is an independent international database of abstracts and citations.
It depends on the rules of your institution. We check your university’s requirements to recommend the relevant journals.
Yes. We check the scope of your research and its requirements to prepare a verified short list of journals with comparisons.
Yes. We format according to the author instructions of the targeted journal – structure, references, figures and tables, word limit, cover letter, ethical statements, and declarations.
Your UGC CARE Requirement Starts With the Right Journal
Do you know if your journal is suitable for your research scope and institutional guidelines? Share your abstract or manuscript information with IdeaLaunch, and our publishing experts will assist you in determining the suitability of your chosen journal prior to submission.