Journal Inclusion and Selection Criteria

AGPCI applies a standards-based evaluation framework for the inclusion of scholarly journals. The criteria emphasize editorial quality, publishing reliability, transparency, and scholarly contribution, consistent with internationally recognized indexing practices, while remaining responsive to the national research context.


  1. Technical Eligibility Criteria

    2. Journals must satisfy all technical eligibility criteria to be considered for evaluation.

    1. Journal Identity
      2.
      • The journal has a valid International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) registered with the ISSN International Centre.
      • The journal is issued by a recognized academic, research, professional, or scholarly publishing body in the Philippines.
    2. Publication History and Continuity
      3.
      • The journal demonstrates a sustained publication record of at least three (3) years, with a minimum of six (6) published issues.
      • Recent issues are released in accordance with the declared publication frequency, without significant disruption.
    3. Online Presence and Transparency
      4.
      • The journal maintains a functional and publicly accessible website that clearly presents:
        • Aims and scope
        • Publication frequency
        • Peer review model
        • Editorial board composition with institutional affiliations
        • Author guidelines
        • Publication ethics and malpractice statement
        • Full-text access to current and archived content
        • Publisher and contact information
    4. Open Access and Peer Review
      5.
      • Full journal content is freely accessible online.
      • All articles are subjected to a formal peer review process prior to publication.

  2. Evaluation Criteria

    3. Journals that meet the technical eligibility requirements are evaluated across the following five dimensions. Assessment is based on consistency, demonstrated practice, and alignment with stated policies, rather than stated intent alone.

    1. Editorial Policy and Governance
      2.
      • The journal demonstrates a coherent and credible editorial policy.
      • The editorial board reflects institutional and professional diversity, with a substantial proportion of members external to the publishing institution.
      • Editors possess recognized academic or professional standing relevant to the journal’s disciplinary scope.
      • Editorial governance structures avoid excessive institutional concentration.
    2. Publishing Regularity and Timeliness
      3.
      • The journal publishes issues consistently and on schedule, in line with its declared frequency.
      • Articles include a complete and transparent publication history, indicating submission, revision, acceptance, and publication dates.
      • The journal demonstrates operational reliability and continuity.
    3. Authorship Diversity
      4.
      • The journal reflects diversity of authorship, with a significant proportion of articles originating from external institutions or collaborative affiliations.
      • The publication profile indicates openness to the broader scholarly community rather than in-house dissemination.
    4. Editorial Workflow and Online Systems
      5.
      • The journal employs an online journal management system that supports the editorial and publication workflow, including manuscript submission, peer review, editorial decision-making, copyediting, and publication.
      • Editorial processes are documented, traceable, and consistently applied.
    5. Scholarly Quality of Content
      6.
      • The journal demonstrates consistency in publishing articles that:
        • Contribute original and relevant scholarship to the field
        • Present clear, accurate, and informative abstracts
        • Align with the journal’s stated aims and scope
        • Exhibit coherence, clarity of argumentation, and readability
        • Undergo a credible and uniformly applied peer review process

  3. Evaluation Outcomes

    4. Based on a holistic assessment of compliance and performance, journals may be assigned one of the following outcomes:

    • Included: The journal satisfies all technical requirements and demonstrates strong alignment with evaluation criteria.
    • Provisionally Included: The journal satisfies technical requirements but exhibits areas requiring improvement. Continued inclusion is subject to subsequent review.
    • Not Included: The journal fails to meet technical eligibility or demonstrates substantial deficiencies. Reapplication may be considered following demonstrable improvements.

For submissions:
      Please email agpci@dlsu.edu.ph