Free to read with no embargo period. Not "free after twelve months", and not free to read only some articles.
Directory of Open Access Journals • 2026-2027
DOAJ Journal List: The Directory of Open Access Journals Explained
What a DOAJ listing actually proves, why the advice to “look for the DOAJ Seal” is now out of date, what replaced it, and how to read a DOAJ record properly — with 50 recently added journals to browse.
DOAJ — the Directory of Open Access Journals — is an independent, non-profit index of peer-reviewed open access journals. It is free to search, free for journals to apply to, and it has become the first check most librarians and research offices run on an open access title they do not recognise.
It is also the most misunderstood of the three databases this site covers, because it is not a citation index. DOAJ publishes no impact metric, ranks nothing, and makes no claim about a journal’s standing. What it does is verify that a journal is genuinely open access and genuinely transparent about how it operates — which is a floor, not a ranking, and is exactly why it is useful for spotting predatory titles.
Read it correctly
What a DOAJ Listing Does and Does Not Prove
| A DOAJ listing does establish | It does not establish |
|---|---|
| The journal is genuinely open access, with no embargo | That the journal is prestigious or highly cited |
| A peer review or editorial control process is described | That the review is rigorous in practice |
| The editorial board is named and checkable | That those editors are active |
| Copyright and licensing terms are stated clearly | That the terms suit your funder or institution |
| Fees, if any, are disclosed | That the fee is reasonable |
| The journal met DOAJ’s transparency criteria at review | Coverage in Scopus, Web of Science or any citation index |
Read the record
Which DOAJ Field Answers Which Question
A DOAJ record is unusually detailed. This is where each answer sits, and what to compare it against.
| Your question | Field in the DOAJ journal record | Compare it with |
|---|---|---|
| May I reuse the article? | Licence (the specific Creative Commons licence) | The licence named on the journal's own copyright page |
| What will it cost? | Article processing charge and currency | The fee page on the journal site |
| How is quality controlled? | Peer review model | The journal's published review policy |
| Who runs it? | Editorial board and publisher | Names and affiliations on the journal site |
| Will the paper survive? | Archiving and preservation arrangements | The journal's preservation policy |
| Is it really the same journal? | ISSN (print and electronic) | The ISSN Portal record and the ISSN on the site |
| Does it carry the DOAJ Seal? | No such field since March 2025 | The Publication Facts Label, where shown |
What DOAJ checks
DOAJ Indexing Criteria
Journals must meet strict criteria before DOAJ will list them. The four below are the core, alongside ethical publishing practice broadly following COPE guidance.
A described quality-control process, with the model stated rather than asserted.
Named editors with affiliations that can be checked independently.
Who holds copyright after publication, and under which licence — Creative Commons or otherwise — readers may reuse the work.
Almost every other guide gets this wrong
The DOAJ Seal Was Retired — What Replaced It
The DOAJ Seal was retired at the end of March 2025. For years the standard advice was “look for the DOAJ Seal”, and a great deal of guidance still says so. It is out of date, and a journal advertising a Seal in 2026 is quoting a badge that no longer exists.
DOAJ replaced the single blanket badge with specific individual labels — for example the Subscribe to Open (S2O) label launched in March 2025 — so the journal’s DOAJ listing itself, rather than a Seal, is now the baseline signal to check.
In April 2026 DOAJ went further and introduced a Publication Facts Label, presenting detailed information about a journal’s publishing practices in one place so researchers can evaluate research integrity without assembling the picture themselves.
What replaced what
From the DOAJ Seal to the Publication Facts Label
The sequence, so you can date any guidance you are reading.
- Until March 2025: the DOAJ SealOne blanket badge for journals meeting extra best-practice criteria. Guidance written before 2025 still says "look for the Seal".
- March 2025: Seal retired, labels beginDOAJ replaces the single badge with specific labels, starting with Subscribe to Open (S2O).
- April 2026: Publication Facts LabelA one-place summary of a journal's publishing practices, so integrity can be judged without piecing pages together.
- Today: the listing itself is the signalCheck the journal's DOAJ record and its label(s). A Seal quoted in 2026 is a badge that no longer exists.
Seven steps
How to Check a Journal on DOAJ
Open the DOAJ journal search
Go to doaj.org. It is free, open to everyone, and needs no account.
Search by ISSN, then by title
As with every database, the ISSN is the identifier that resists cloning. Search it first and compare the title that comes back.
Read the journal record, not just its presence
A DOAJ record is unusually detailed. It shows the licence, the APC, the peer review model, the editorial process and the archiving arrangements — all in one place.
Check the APC and currency
DOAJ records state whether an article processing charge applies and how much. A journal whose site is vague about fees while DOAJ records a figure is worth a second look.
Check the licence
Look for the specific Creative Commons licence. "Open access" without a named licence tells you nothing about what you or your readers may actually do with the article.
Note the absence, if it is absent
A journal not listed in DOAJ is not automatically bad — plenty of legitimate subscription journals are not in it, because it only covers open access titles. But an open access journal that is not in DOAJ is worth asking about.
Use the Publication Facts Label where you see it
Introduced in April 2026, it summarises a journal’s publishing practices in one place to help you judge research integrity.
50 recently added journals
DOAJ Journal List 2026-2027
Newest additions to the directory, with print and electronic ISSN, publisher and country. Search filters cards already on the page — nothing loads in the background.
This is a dated snapshot, taken 28 September 2026. It was pulled from the DOAJ public API, sorted newest first — the same query behind the search link below. DOAJ adds journals continuously, so use the live search for anything current.
These 50 are the most recently added titles, not a ranking and not a recommendation. Read each journal’s own DOAJ record before you draw any conclusion about it.
50 journals
Akda
EISSN2782-8875
De La Salle UniversityPH
View on DOAJJournal of Cross-Disciplinary Sustainability Innovations
EISSN3093-7396
Cultech Publishing Sdn. Bhd.MY
View on DOAJInternational Journal of Documentary Heritage
PISSN3058-9428EISSN3058-9061
International Centre for Documentary Heritage (ICDH) under the auspices of UNESCOKR
View on DOAJGlobal Integrated Mathematics
EISSN3120-3434
Cultech Publishing Sdn. Bhd.MY
View on DOAJGlobal Change Biology Communications
EISSN3066-9200
WileyUS
View on DOAJDesarrollo Economico
PISSN0046-001XEISSN1853-8185
Instituto de Desarrollo Economico y Social - CONICETAR
View on DOAJInternational Journal of Education and Learning Studies
EISSN3109-4058
PT. Intelektiva Global NusantaraID
View on DOAJInternational Transactions on Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
EISSN2583-6471
International Institute of Quantum Science ResearchIN
View on DOAJJournal of the Indian Medical Association
PISSN0019-5847
Jaypee Brothers Medical PublisherIN
View on DOAJShakarim University Bulletin: Technical Sciences
PISSN2788-7995EISSN3006-0524
Shakarim UniversityKZ
View on DOAJScience Intensive Technologies in Mechanical Engineering
PISSN2223-4608
Bryansk State Technical UniversityRU
View on DOAJInnovaciones de Negocios
EISSN3061-743X
Maria de Jesus Araiza VazquezMX
View on DOAJJournal of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
EISSN2675-374X
Sociedade Brasileira de Terapia Celular e Transplante de Medula OsseaBR
View on DOAJDzieje Najnowsze
PISSN0419-8824EISSN2451-1323
Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History, Polish Academy of SciencesPL
View on DOAJKwartalnik Bellona
PISSN1897-7065EISSN2719-3853
Wojskowy Instytut Wydawniczy (Military Publishing Institute)PL
View on DOAJAnnales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska. Sectio FF, Philologiae
PISSN0239-426XEISSN2449-853X
Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Sklodowskiej w LubliniePL
View on DOAJCommunio
PISSN0208-7995
PallotinumPL
View on DOAJKwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki
PISSN0023-589XEISSN2657-4020
Institute for the History of Science, Polish Academy of SciencesPL
View on DOAJProceedings of Higher Educational Institutions: Sociology, Economics, Politics
PISSN1993-1824EISSN3033-8158
Industrial University of TyumenRU
View on DOAJIntegrated Biblical and Theological Studies
PISSN3135-4610EISSN3079-0328
AOSISZA
View on DOAJJournal of Scottish Thought
EISSN2753-3298
Aberdeen University PressGB
View on DOAJCahiers Fablijes
EISSN2999-9154
Universite Lumiere Lyon 2FR
View on DOAJSri Lanka Journal of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences
PISSN3084-8814
Faculty of Medicine, University of ColomboLK
View on DOAJEconomics and Management
PISSN1998-1627EISSN3033-7984
Saint-Petersburg University of Management Technologies and EconomicsRU
View on DOAJPharmedicine Journal
EISSN3023-6967
Ismail CelikTR
View on DOAJJournal of Applied Tourism Research
EISSN2717-8951
Isparta University of Applied SciencesTR
View on DOAJXipe Totek
EISSN2448-9085
Dr. Miguel Fernandez MembriveMX
View on DOAJNeurology Open Access
EISSN2998-7601
Wolters Kluwer Health - Lippincott Williams WilkinsUS
View on DOAJJournal of Medical Sciences and Health
PISSN2394-9481EISSN2394-949X
Adichunchunagiri Institute of Medical SciencesIN
View on DOAJInvestigaciones Fenomenologicas
EISSN1885-1088
Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED)ES
View on DOAJDiscover Neuroscience
EISSN3005-1827
BioMed CentralGB
View on DOAJIOASD Journal of Business and Management Studies
PISSN3049-0510EISSN3048-7595
IOASD PublisherIN
View on DOAJAnimal Husbandry and Food Production Technology
PISSN2706-8331EISSN2706-834X
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of UkraineUA
View on DOAJThe Nigerian Health Journal
PISSN0189-9287EISSN2992-345X
Nigerian Medical Association (Rivers State Branch)NG
View on DOAJJournal of Perceptual Imaging
EISSN2575-8144
Society for Imaging Science and TechnologyUS
View on DOAJBritish Journal of Surgical Science
EISSN2754-8880
ALASIDI LTDGB
View on DOAJClinical Psychology: Research and Practice Innovations
EISSN3115-9508
Semnan UniversityIR
View on DOAJInfoScience
PISSN2769-5875EISSN2769-5883
WileyAU
View on DOAJTijdschrift voor Lerarenopleiders
EISSN3050-8673
VelonNL
View on DOAJDiscover Quantum Science
EISSN3059-4529
Springer Nature SingaporeSG
View on DOAJDiscover Imaging
EISSN3004-9776
Springer Nature SingaporeSG
View on DOAJGeopsychiatry
EISSN3050-7138
ElsevierNL
View on DOAJZbornik Radova Gradevinsko-Arhitektonskog Fakulteta
PISSN1452-2845EISSN3009-4674
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of NisRS
View on DOAJBulletin of the National Defence University of Ukraine
PISSN2617-6858EISSN2617-6866
National Defence University of UkraineUA
View on DOAJEducA
EISSN2183-5136
Association for Catholic Institutes for the Study of Education (ACISE)PT
View on DOAJThe Indonesian Accounting Review
PISSN2086-3802EISSN2302-822X
Research Center and Community Services, University of Hayam WurukID
View on DOAJComunitania
EISSN2173-0520
Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED), Departamento de Trabajo SocialES
View on DOAJPsyCh Journal
PISSN2046-0252EISSN2046-0260
WileyUS
View on DOAJLegal Studies
PISSN0261-3875EISSN1748-121X
Cambridge University PressGB
View on DOAJWorld Trade Review
PISSN1474-7456EISSN1475-3138
Cambridge University PressGB
View on DOAJNo journal in this snapshot matches that search. Try part of the title, an ISSN, or the publisher — then search the full directory at doaj.org.
Source list — browse the full DOAJ journal list here:
https://doaj.org/search/journals (newest first, 50 per page)
DOAJ lists many thousands of journals. Only the live directory lets you filter by subject, country of publisher, licence, article processing charge and more, and only it shows each journal’s current record.
Three different questions
DOAJ vs Scopus vs Web of Science
| DOAJ | Scopus | Web of Science | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | DOAJ, a non-profit | Elsevier | Clarivate |
| Covers | Open access journals only | All journals it selects | All journals it selects |
| Answers | Is this genuinely open access and transparent? | Is this covered, and how cited? | Is this covered, and at what rank? |
| Metric | None | CiteScore, SJR, SNIP | Journal Impact Factor, quartiles |
| Check at | doaj.org | scopus.com/sources | mjl.clarivate.com |
Use all three. See our Scopus verification guide and Web of Science journal list guide.
Check it yourself
Apply the Same Method to JMVRA
This journal asks you to check it rather than take its word. These are its own profiles and listings, plus three search links; none of them is DOAJ, Scopus or Web of Science, and the page claims no listing in any of those.
- Crossref Search (opens in a new tab)Search resultsCrossref works matching the journal name — a discovery link.
- Google Scholar (opens in a new tab)Journal profileThe journal's Google Scholar profile and its listed papers.
- Academia (opens in a new tab)Journal profileThe journal's Academia.edu profile with shared papers.
- Scholar9 (opens in a new tab)Journal listingJournal page on the transparent peer-review registry.
- ORWave (opens in a new tab)Journal listingThe journal's listing on the Open Research Wave platform.
- OpenAlex (opens in a new tab)Search resultsOpenAlex works search for the journal — a discovery link.
- Google Search (opens in a new tab)Search resultsA web search for the journal's full name — a discovery link.
Discovery links, not indexing claims. Crossref Search, OpenAlex and Google Search open search results; they show what those services find, not that the journal is indexed there or holds a DOI prefix. The profile and listing links open the journal's own records.
Six claims that prove nothing
How to Spot a Fake DOAJ Claim
A DOAJ logo on the journal’s site
An image file. It carries no verification, and hijacked journals copy them routinely.
“DOAJ Seal” in 2026
The DOAJ Seal was retired at the end of March 2025. A journal still advertising a Seal is quoting a badge that no longer exists.
“Applied to DOAJ” or “DOAJ pending”
Means not listed. Applications are reviewed against strict criteria, and many are rejected.
DOAJ listing presented as proof of quality
DOAJ confirms a journal meets open access and transparency criteria. It is not a citation index and it publishes no impact metric — treat it as a floor, not a ranking.
A third-party “DOAJ list download”
DOAJ publishes its own data openly and updates it continuously. Any static copy, including the 50 cards on this page, is a snapshot.
“DOAJ indexed, so UGC approved”
Two unrelated systems. DOAJ is an international open access directory; UGC discontinued its CARE listing in October 2024 and now publishes suggested parameters instead.
DOAJ is unusually good at catching predatory journals precisely because its criteria are about transparency rather than prestige. A predatory title can fake a metric; it struggles to produce a named editorial board, a specific licence and a disclosed fee that all survive review. See how cloned and predatory journals operate.
Print this
DOAJ Verification Checklist
- The ISSN on the journal’s site returns a record at doaj.org.
- The title in the DOAJ record matches the journal exactly.
- The publisher in the record matches the publisher on the site.
- The licence is named specifically, not just called “open access”.
- The article processing charge in DOAJ matches what the journal’s own site says.
- The peer review model described in DOAJ matches the journal’s stated policy.
- The editorial board is named, with checkable affiliations.
- The journal is not relying on the retired DOAJ Seal as a current credential.
- Archiving and preservation arrangements are stated.
- The journal’s scope genuinely covers your subject.
Apply every check on this page to us
Submit Your Paper to JMVRA
JMVRA (Journal of Modern and Versatile Research Approach) is a transparent, peer-reviewed, open access journal, ISSN 2984-8911, publishing across arts and science, management, engineering and technology. Following the discontinuation of UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing, JMVRA is aligned with UGC’s Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals — see how each parameter is met.
Every submission is peer reviewed before any decision, screened for similarity, and published open access with a Crossref DOI. The publication charge applies only after acceptance — nothing is payable to submit or to be reviewed. Run the same verification on us that this page asks you to run on anyone else; the policies are published in full for exactly that reason.
Ready to submit?
Read the author guidelines and the current call for papers to confirm scope and article types, then submit online. Publication charge ₹971 INR Indian authors · $41 USD international, payable after acceptance.
Popular questions and answers
Frequently Asked Questions
These visible answers also power the FAQ structured data on this page.
What is DOAJ?
DOAJ is the Directory of Open Access Journals, an independent non-profit index of peer-reviewed open access journals. It is free to search, free for journals to apply to, and widely used as a first check on whether an open access journal is transparent and legitimate.
What does it mean for a journal to be indexed in DOAJ?
It means DOAJ has assessed the journal against its criteria — genuine open access with no embargo, peer review or editorial control, a transparent editorial board, clear copyright and licensing, and ethical publishing practice broadly following COPE guidance — and accepted it.
How do I check whether a journal is in DOAJ?
Search the journal by ISSN, then by title, at doaj.org. Read the full record rather than just noting its presence: the licence, the APC, the peer review model and the archiving arrangements are all shown there.
Does the DOAJ Seal still exist?
No. The DOAJ Seal was retired at the end of March 2025. DOAJ moved to more specific individual labels instead — for example the Subscribe to Open (S2O) label launched in March 2025 — so a journal’s DOAJ listing itself, rather than a Seal, is now the baseline signal to check.
What is the DOAJ Publication Facts Label?
Introduced in April 2026, it presents detailed information about a journal’s publishing practices in one place, to help researchers evaluate research integrity without having to piece the picture together from several pages.
Is DOAJ the same as Scopus or Web of Science?
No. DOAJ is a directory of open access journals maintained by a non-profit, and it publishes no citation metrics. Scopus is Elsevier’s citation database and Web of Science is Clarivate’s. They answer different questions and a thorough journal check uses all three.
Does DOAJ listing mean a journal is UGC approved?
No, they are unrelated. DOAJ is an international open access directory. UGC discontinued its CARE journal listing by public notice on 3 October 2024 and now publishes suggested parameters for choosing peer-reviewed journals instead.
Is a journal that is not in DOAJ a bad journal?
Not necessarily. DOAJ only covers open access journals, so a legitimate subscription journal will not be there. But an open access journal that is not listed is worth asking about, and its absence is a reasonable question to put to the editor.
Where does the journal list on this page come from?
It was pulled from the DOAJ public API, sorted by newest first, and is a snapshot taken on 28 September 2026. DOAJ adds journals continuously, so use the live search for anything current.
Is JMVRA listed in DOAJ?
Check it yourself rather than taking any journal’s word for its own indexing, including ours. Search our ISSN at doaj.org. This page gives you the method precisely so you never have to rely on a claim.
Keep reading
Related Guides
Web of Science Journal List
SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and ESCI — and why the difference matters.
Scopus Indexed Journals
The seven verification steps, coverage years and discontinued titles.
List of Scopus Indexed Journals
1,000 Q1 source titles as browsable cards.
Open Access at JMVRA
What open access means here, and the licence that applies.
Verifying Journals After UGC CARE
The eight UGC parameter categories and how to check each one.
Cloned & Fake Journal Alert
How hijacked titles are built, and how to spot one.
What researchers search for
Related Search Terms
DOAJ journal list
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