Match the journal identity
Collect the exact journal title, print and electronic ISSNs, publisher and official website. Similar titles and cloned websites can cause mistakes. Start from an official database record and follow its publisher information where available rather than relying on a logo in an email.
Use the appropriate official source
Scopus provides source records and title lists, including discontinued coverage information. For Web of Science, consult the Master Journal List and identify the actual collection. For medical journals, use NLM resources to distinguish MEDLINE coverage from other routes through which content appears in PubMed. Record what the source actually states.
Record coverage and timing
Keep a verification table with the following fields. An undated screenshot of an old listing is weaker evidence than a current record.
- Exact title and ISSN.
- Database and collection.
- Coverage dates and any status notice.
- Official record URL and date checked.
- The institution’s requirement you are trying to satisfy.
Recheck before submission and after publication
If a title is discontinued or its status is unclear, investigate the coverage dates and ask your institution how its rule applies. Do not assume that a particular article will be indexed simply because a journal has a historical listing. A service provider cannot guarantee continued database coverage.