Indexing services provide solutions for the aggregation of research outputs, to local or global digital services, and therefore opportunities for those outputs to reach a wider audience, through extended distribution. Indexing services are also used as a framework for librarians and researchers looking to evaluate publishing outlets, as many platforms use strict criteria for inclusion. Indexes often apply their own criteria – varying greatly in range, number and effectiveness – which could, therefore, serve as a foundation for how we create and distribute the scholarly output. The indexing of a source in a database is not, however, a mark of the quality of the content published, or of an endorsement of the content’s source.
Journal indexing services
Trustworthy indexing services may vary according to subject areas, publishing language and regions.
Examples of common databases or indexing services that apply some sort of quality check or review before adding content are DOAJ, Google Scholar, PubMed Medline, Pubmed Central, Redalyc-AmeliCA, Scielo, SCOPUS, UGC, Web of Science.
Check with a librarian if you need further or more specific advice.
Book indexing services
Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) is a platform for dissemination of metadata about academic books. To be accepted for listing, the publisher needs to provide a description of the peer-review and editorial selection processes. Another purpose of the platform is to facilitate aggregation of information about books by offering standardisation of book metadata and an opportunity for libraries to harvest information for their local catalogues. DOAB is managed by the OAPEN Library in Collaboration with OpenEdition.
OAPEN Library is set up to host and disseminate OA books. OAPEN works with publishers to build a quality controlled collection of open access books and provides services for publishers, libraries, and research funders in the areas of dissemination, quality assurance, and digital preservation. To join this database, publishers of books need to provide information about which open access license they use and what type of peer-review they perform.