For peer-reviewed articles and monographs, the decision on the Publication Forum level calls for the identification of the correct publication channel. The choice of the channel depends on the type of publication.
- The rating for articles in journals or compilations as well as monographs (A1, A2, A3 and C1) is primarily determined by the Level awarded to the journal or series in question. The Level awarded to the series is also applied to edited books (C2) and conference articles (A4), unless the conference in question has been classified separately. Journals/series are electronic or printed journals, conference proceedings and annals as well as domestic book series with an ISSN number. Serial publications are listed in the Publication Forum database under the title recorded in the ISSN International Centre.
- The Level of peer-reviewed conference papers (A4) is primarily determined on the basis of the conference. Individual conferences will be classified only in those exceptional cases in which the grade of the conference publication deviates from the determined Level of the series or the publisher serving as publication channel. Conferences are listed in the Publication Forum database under the event’s established name and abbreviation. The process of registering conferences changed in June 2016.
- The Level of the book publisher is applied secondarily to monographs and articles in compilations or conference proceedings if the publication does not come out in a series or such series has not been classified. Under the main rule, monographic series of domestic book publishers are classified in the Publication Forum while those by foreign book publishers are not. Book publishers are listed in the Publication Forum database under the name recorded in the International ISBN Agency register or their established name.
| Publication type | Series (ISSN) | Book publisher (ISBN) | Conference (name) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Journal article (refereed), original research | 1. | ||
| A2 Review article, Literature review, Systematic review | 1. | ||
| A3 Book section, Chapters in research books | 1. | 2. | |
| A4 Conference proceedings | 2. | 3. | 1. |
| C1 Book | 1. | 2. | |
| C2 Edited book, conference proceedings or special issue of a journal | 2. | 3. | 1. |
Publication channel recognition
Each journal/series, conference or book publisher classified in the Publication Forum has a specific identifier (JufoID) which associates the publication with the publication channel determining their level in the VIRTA Publication Information Service. Information on the publication channel can be verified through the JUFO-portal.
- Articles in journals (A1 and A2). The classification of a journal/series is verified on the basis of the ISSN number marked on the publication. The channel search can also take place on the basis of the name but in that case it is advisable to check the journal/series data to ensure that it is the correct channel and not one with the same or similar name.
- Articles in conference publications (A4) and edited books (C2). The classification of a publication is verified primarily on the basis of its established name. ‘Established name’ refers to that of the conference normally repeated on the host publication of proceedings which does not change while the year, order number, venue and date often mentioned with the name normally vary. If the conference name cannot be found in the Publication Forum database the Level is determined by the series identified by its ISSN. If the publication does not have an ISSN the Level is determined by the book publisher identified by its ISBN and name.
- Articles in compilations (A3) and monographs (C1). The classification of monographs and compilations is primarily sought using the ISSN number marked on the publication. If the publication has not come out in a book series with an ISSN number, the classification of the book publisher is checked on the basis of the publisher mentioned on the title page of the publication. If the publication mentions both the parent company and a publisher (imprint) name operating as its subsidiary, the rating is based on the name of the imprint (e.g., Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier). The publisher’s name can also be searched on the basis of the ISBN publisher prefix (the first three elements of the number, e.g., 978-951-222). If the ISBN publisher prefix cannot be found in the database or the same ISBN-prefix is recorded for several book publishers, the channel referred to is determined on the basis of the book publisher’s name.
