In the process of preparation for publication, researchers often face difficulties in choosing a database to publish their article. In addition to reputable platforms such as Scopus and Web of Science, there are resources with a dubious reputation, which can have a negative impact on the researcher's further advancement. In this article, we will describe which databases should be avoided and what is their danger for a scientist's career.
What is RSCI?
The Russian Science Citation Index (or RSCI) – is a Russian scientometric database that indexes scientific publications published in Russian scientific editions. It includes information about articles, monographs, dissertations and other scientific works published in journals and conferences registered in the database.
RSCI is popular not only in Russia, but also in some countries with Russian-speaking populations. However, the situation is different at the international level. A lot of foreign scientists and research organisations are sceptical about this database, which makes it considered a questionable platform for researchers to publish.
Why should RSCI be avoided?
This attitude towards RSCI did not arise out of nothing. There are a number of reasons why this database is not considered authoritative by the international scientific community. We will now have a closer look at each of them.
- Predatory journals. One of the main reasons for the dubiousness of RSCI is the presence of predatory journals in it. This is a type of publication whose main goal is to make a profit in exchange for indexing. They offer fast publication for a fee without paying due attention to the quality of peer review. Such journals negatively affect the credibility of the database and reduce the level of trust of scientists in the database.
- Journal selection process. A common feature of questionable scientometric databases is an insufficiently rigorous journal selection process. To maintain a high level of publications, the platform must have appropriate criteria for inclusion. In contrast to databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, RSCI has less stringent requirements, which leads to the fact that journals with low quality peer review and questionable scientific reputation may end up in the database. This, in turn, may have a negative impact on the importance of publications for a scientist's career development.
- Lack of international recognition. RSCI has no international recognition, unlike Scopus and Web of Science. This means that articles published in journals indexed in this database are not taken into account when evaluating scientific work according to international criteria.
- Limited geography. Since RSCI mainly indexes Russian and Russian-language publications, this limits the access of foreign researchers to publications on the platform and hinders integration into the international scientific community.
- Level of peer review. The peer review process in journals indexed by RSCI can vary greatly. The lack of a uniform peer-review standard for all journals in the database leads to uneven quality of publications, which also reduces the credibility of the platform.
What is Index Copernicus?
Index Copernicus – is a scientometric database that started operating in Poland in 1999. It contains information about scientific organisations, scientists, publications and various research projects. The name of the database was chosen in honour of the prominent Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
Despite its popularity, Index Copernicus is often criticised. The main reason for this attitude is the methodology of journal evaluation, as well as the risk of including predatory journals.
In addition, the database's provision of paid services to speed up the indexing process and dubious criteria for evaluating publications have been hotly debated in the scientific community. This, in turn, has led many university libraries to recommend that academics avoid using journals with IC scores.
Why do scholars criticise Index Copernicus?
- Opacity of the methodology for calculating the scores. The database evaluates scientific journals from different disciplines using its own index called Index Copernicus Value. However, the mechanism of forming the IC index raises many questions among experts, who consider this system to be unreasonable and potentially biased.
- Journal selection. Unlike authoritative international databases, such as Scopus or Web of Science, the Index Copernicus requirements to indexed publications are much lower. As a consequence, the database may contain journals with low scientific level and questionable reputation.
- Limited international recognition. Index Copernicus is not an authoritative global database, which significantly reduces the value of publications presented in this system in terms of international scientific standards.
- High risks of overestimation of indicators. There is a real possibility of manipulation of estimates, which can lead to distortion of the real scientific significance of publications.
In the process of preparation for publication, it is worth paying attention to the authority of the database. The wrong choice of platform for article placement can negatively affect the promotion of the scientist and the visibility of his/her research.
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