Web of Science Publication Support
Which Web of Science index your university actually counts, and a manuscript prepared for it.
“Publish in a Web of Science journal” sounds like one requirement. It is actually several. The Web of Science Core Collection contains separate indexes for science, social sciences, and arts and humanities, plus an emerging sources index, and universities differ on which of them they accept. A paper that satisfies one department’s rule may not satisfy another’s, even within the same university.
So the first thing we do for Web of Science work is not writing. It is reading your university’s regulation, working out which Core Collection indexes it covers, and only then shortlisting journals. For social science and humanities scholars in particular, this matters: SSCI and AHCI journals have different conventions from science journals, and much of the advice written for “SCI publication” does not apply to them.
After that, the work is the same careful preparation any selective journal needs, followed by review that typically takes three to eight months and runs on the journal’s own schedule.
Scope
What’s included
Each stage can be bought on its own. Many scholars only need the requirement check and the journal shortlist; others want support from draft to acceptance.
Requirement check
We read your university or department regulation with you and map its wording to specific Core Collection indexes, noting anything ambiguous you should confirm in writing before you submit.
Journal shortlist by index
Three to five journals from the index your rule accepts, each verified on the Master Journal List, with coverage, publisher, review model and any author charges noted.
Discipline-specific manuscript review
A review by someone who publishes in your area: argument and theory for humanities, design and measurement for social sciences, methods and results for sciences.
Formatting and submission pack
The target journal’s house style (including the Chicago, MLA or APA variants common in SSCI and AHCI journals), plus cover letter and required declarations.
Revision support
A point-by-point response and revised manuscript when reviews come back, with a second round included where you choose it at scoping.
Quality
How quality is verified
These are the checks every piece of work goes through before it reaches you.
Rule mapped to an index, in writing
Before any journal is suggested, you get a short note stating which indexes your regulation appears to accept, quoting its wording, and listing what to confirm with your department.
Core Collection edition verified
Each journal is checked on the Master Journal List for the exact edition (SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI), with ISSN, publisher and website matched, on the day we recommend it and again before submission.
Reviewer from your discipline
A historian reads a history paper; an economist reads an economics paper. Conventions differ too much across the Core Collection for a generalist review to be useful.
Similarity report and source checks
A similarity report comes with every draft, and every reference and quotation is checked against its source. This is especially important for humanities work built on close reading.
Post-publication indexing check
Once your paper is published, we show you how to confirm the record appears in Web of Science, so you have direct evidence for your committee.
Time
Realistic timelines
Timelines differ sharply across the Core Collection. Humanities journals in particular may have long review periods and publish only a few issues a year.
| Stage | Typical time | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement check and journal shortlist | 3–6 working days | Us, and your department if clarification is needed |
| Manuscript review and development | 2–5 weeks | Us and you |
| Formatting and submission pack | 1 week | Us |
| Editorial screening | 1–6 weeks | The journal |
| Peer review to first decision | 2–6 months; longer at some AHCI journals | The journal and its reviewers |
| Revision and final decision | 1–4 months | You, then the journal |
| Publication and appearance in Web of Science | Weeks to months after acceptance | The journal and Clarivate |
Which one counts
The four Core Collection journal indexes
These are the journal indexes most university rules have in mind when they say “Web of Science”. The Core Collection also includes conference proceedings and book citation indexes, which are counted far less often.
| Index | What it covers | Journal Impact Factor | How universities tend to treat it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCIE | Science, technology, medicine, agriculture | Yes | Widely accepted; often what “SCI” means in circulars |
| SSCI | Social sciences (economics, management, education, psychology and more) | Yes | Widely accepted for social science PhDs |
| AHCI | Arts and humanities (history, literature, philosophy, languages) | Yes, since the 2023 JCR release | Accepted where rules mention Web of Science generally or AHCI specifically |
| ESCI | Journals across all subjects that meet Clarivate’s quality criteria but not its additional impact criteria | Yes, since the 2023 JCR release | Varies most; some rules accept any Core Collection index, others name only SCIE and SSCI |
Why ESCI causes the most confusion
ESCI journals are part of the Web of Science Core Collection and pass Clarivate’s editorial quality checks. Since the 2023 release of Journal Citation Reports they receive a Journal Impact Factor, which led some people to describe them as “SCI” journals. They are not in SCIE. Whether an ESCI paper satisfies your requirement depends entirely on how your university worded its rule, so the rule itself is the place to check.
How to verify a journal yourself
- Search the journal’s ISSN, not just its title, on the Master Journal List.
- Open the entry and note which Web of Science Core Collection edition it lists.
- Compare the publisher and website on the entry with the site you intend to submit to. A copied website can reuse a title and ISSN, but the publisher record on the Master Journal List stays accurate.
- If your rule requires an impact factor or quartile, look it up in Journal Citation Reports (usually through your university library) rather than relying on the journal’s own website. Our metrics guide explains quartiles.
If your work is in the sciences and your rule names SCIE specifically, our SCI/SCIE publication support page goes into that index in more detail.
Pricing
How pricing works
Every engagement is quoted separately, because a requirement check and shortlist is a few days’ work while full manuscript support for an AHCI journal can run for months. You receive a fixed quote once we have seen your regulation and your manuscript, agreed in writing before anything begins.
Many Web of Science journals, especially in the humanities and social sciences, charge authors nothing. Where there is an article processing charge, you pay it directly to the publisher.
What the quote depends on
- Which stages you need
- Your discipline and the conventions of the target index
- How developed the manuscript is
- Length, notes and reference apparatus, which can be heavy in humanities papers
- Whether revision support is included from the outset
Every quote includes
- A written scope listing exactly what will be delivered
- A fixed price agreed before any payment
- Payment in stages, tied to delivery
- Revision rounds stated in the scope
Process
How it works
Free consultation
A call or message with a specialist in your subject. We review your material and say plainly whether we are the right fit.
Written scope and quote
You get a written scope, a timeline and a fixed price. Work and payment begin once you agree to it.
Staged delivery
Work arrives in stages you review, each with a similarity report where text is involved. You pay stage by stage.
Revisions and hand-over
Revision rounds are included. At the end you get the final files, and an explanation of anything you’ll need to defend.
Keep reading
Guides and related services
How to choose a journal for your paper
Scope, indexing, speed and fees: a shortlisting method that avoids desk rejection and predatory journals.
Impact factor, quartiles and h-index, explained
What each metric measures, where to look it up, and which ones on a journal website are unofficial.
How to spot a predatory journal
A checklist to run before you submit anywhere — and what to do if you’ve already submitted.
SCI / SCIE Publication Support
Targeting SCIE journals properly: verified indexing, a rigorous manuscript and support through review.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is an ESCI journal a Web of Science journal?
Yes. ESCI is part of the Web of Science Core Collection. Whether it satisfies your requirement is a different question, and only your university’s rule can answer it. If the rule says “SCI/SSCI”, ESCI probably does not qualify; if it says “Web of Science indexed”, it may. Ask your department to confirm in writing.
Do ESCI and AHCI journals have impact factors?
Yes. From the 2023 release of Journal Citation Reports, Clarivate extended the Journal Impact Factor to all Core Collection journals, including ESCI and AHCI. Before that, only SCIE and SSCI journals received one.
Can you guarantee a Web of Science publication within my deadline?
Acceptance is decided by independent peer review, which usually takes three to eight months and can take longer in the humanities. If your deadline is close, tell us at the free consultation and we will give you a clear view of what is realistic, including options your rules might allow.
The journal says it is on Web of Science but I can’t find it on the Master Journal List. What now?
It may be in a database on the Web of Science platform that is outside the Core Collection, it may have been removed, or the website may be a copy of a real journal’s site. It is worth resolving which before you submit. Our predatory journal checklist helps, or send us the details for a free check.
What happens if the journal is removed from Web of Science after I publish?
Clarivate generally keeps content already indexed and stops indexing new content after a removal. Whether your university accepts a paper from a journal that has since been removed is for the university to decide. We re-check the journal’s status before you submit to reduce that risk.
Can you add a co-author with Web of Science publications to help my paper?
Everyone listed as an author must have contributed to the research, so authorship stays with you and your genuine collaborators, and our team stays off the author list. We support your work; our ethics policy sets out how.
Will my manuscript be kept confidential?
Yes. Only the reviewer assigned to your paper sees it; it is used only for your project and is deleted on request after the engagement. We are happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Talk it through with a specialist for free
Send us where you are and what you need. We’ll reply within one working day with clear advice, a written scope and a fixed quote. No obligation.
Book a free consultation