Removed PU journals can be reconsidered: UGC

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued clarification on removing journals from its approved list.

It had removed 4,305 journals on May 2 which included five from Panjab University (PU) — Parkh from the Department of Punjabi, Parishodh from Panjab University Press, Dialog from the Department of English, Journal of the University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS) and Panjab University Research Journal (Science).

“The Standing Committee reiterates that removal/non-inclusion of a journal does not necessarily indicate that it is of poor quality, but it may also be due to non-availability of information such as details of editorial board, indexing information, year of its commencement, frequency and regularity of its publication schedule etc. It may be noted that a dedicated website for journals is one of the primary criteria for inclusion of journals. The websites should provide full postal addresses, e-mail addresses of chief editor and editors, and at least some of these addresses ought to be verifiable official addresses,” said the UGC.

“Some of the established journals recommended by universities that did not have dedicated websites, or websites that have not been updated, might have been dropped from the approved list as of now. However, they may be considered for re-inclusion once they fulfil these basic criteria and are re-recommended by universities,” it added.

On cut off date, it has been clarified, “The UGC would also like to clarify that 4,305 journals which have been removed on May 2 were UGC-approved journals till that date, and, as such, articles published/accepted in them prior to May 2 by applicants for recruitment/promotion may be considered and given points accordingly by universities.”