The indexing process for edited books or monographs differs from that of journals. Typically, once a journal is accepted for indexing by reputable repositories, all its articles are automatically indexed as the publisher submits the files. However, books follow a different procedure.

Each book or monograph undergoes individual assessment, and each repository has its own specific guidelines. The process can be summarized into two stages: assessment of the publisher and assessment of the content.

The assessment of the publisher involves the publisher expressing their interest to the indexing agencies, indicating their desire to have their content included for indexing. The indexing agencies then evaluate the publisher to ensure they adhere to the established principles of publication ethics, are members of reputable societies, and publish quality content. Once the agencies are satisfied that the publisher meets these criteria, the publisher is granted permission to submit their contents after publication. In this regard, we have undergone assessment, which we successfully passed, and currently have permission to submit our published content to NCBI Bookshelf (PubMed), Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB), Scopus, and Web of Science after publication on our site.

For each book or monograph, we submit a separate application. Each indexing agency has its own assessment criteria. If the content meets these criteria, it will be accepted for indexing. The decision lies solely with the indexing agencies. While we remain committed to publishing articles of the highest quality and believe in the potential of each submission, we recognize that the final decision on indexing is made by the indexing agencies, not by us. We advise authors to be aware of this and understand that the ultimate decision rests with the indexing agencies. Therefore, inquiries about the status of indexing directed to us won’t yield any useful information.

The specific processes of each indexing agency are detailed below:

PubMed Indexing (all our books are indexed)

For books and monographs, we collaborate with NCBI/NIH/NLM Bookshelf, where each book undergoes an individual assessment. The workflow is as follows:

1. Post-publication, we submit our books or monographs to Bookshelf for evaluation, along with the CV of the editor (for edited books) or the CVs of all authors (for monographs).

2. The NCBI Bookshelf evaluates the book or monograph for scientific quality.

3. If approved, Bookshelf requests specially formatted files according to their stringent guidelines for technical evaluation.

4. Once the files pass this evaluation, the book (and its chapters) or monograph becomes eligible for indexing. We then formalize an agreement with Bookshelf for each individual book or monograph.

Successful indexing in Europe PubMed Central is achieved through their partnership with NCBI/NIH Bookshelf. If a book is indexed in the NCBI Bookshelf, its chapters automatically gain indexing in Europe PMC.

It takes approximately 4-12 weeks from the submission of an application to the outcome. To date, all our books and chapters have been successfully indexed in the NCBI/NIH/NLM Bookshelf and PubMed.

DOAB Indexing (all our books are indexed)

The Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) lists and provides access to scholarly, peer-reviewed open access books and assists users in identifying reputable open access book publishers. Our entire book collection is indexed in DOAB.

Google Scholar Indexing (all our contents are indexed)

Google Scholar compiles scholarly information, indexing peer-reviewed content from all research disciplines for discoverability on Google and Google Scholar. All our content is indexed on Google Scholar, subject to adherence to their technical specifications.

Scopus Indexing (all books submitted from the date of agreement in 2021)

In accordance with our agreement with Elsevier (the company behind Scopus), we have submitted all books published since January 2021 for indexing. The decision to index and the timing is at the discretion of Scopus. We do not influence their decisions, and they do not provide us with progress updates. Therefore, reaching out to us for updates will not be beneficial.

Web of Science Indexing (all books submitted)

Following our agreement with Thomson Reuters (now known as Clarivate Analytics), we have submitted our books to the Web of Science Book Citation Index (WSBCI). The decision to index, and its timing, is entirely at the discretion of WSBCI. They do not offer us any updates on the process, so inquiring with us will not yield any new information.