WOS
Initial Triage
The principal purpose of this triage step is to ensure unambiguous identification of the books submitted for evaluation and to know who to contact if we have any queries or concerns. This step also verifies that submitted books are eligible for BKCI evaluation.
Books eligible for consideration include:
- scholarly monographs or volumes in series,
- by an individual or multiple authors or editors,
- consisting of original research or reviews of original research,
- and including cited references/notes.
We do not consider:
- Reference books, including dictionaries, encyclopaedias, atlases, etc.
- Books whose primary element are photography and/or illustrations
- Fiction, unless it includes substantial commentary with cited references
- Textbooks, popular science, guides, books for general audiences, etc.
- Unrevised theses and dissertations
- Books lacking full cited references
- Books published in non-Roman alphabets
There is no embargo period for re-submission if books do not pass initial triage for issues that are resolvable.
ISBN
The ISBN is a unique identifier that signals a publisher’s intent for a publication to be considered as a book. Books are expected to clearly display all valid ISBNs associated with the title.
Book Title
The title of the book should be clearly and unambiguously stated.
Book Publisher
The publisher name must be clearly defined, and a verifiable, physical address (not P.O. Box) for the publisher’s business offices must be provided. The imprint under which a publisher publishes a book should be clearly identified.
Publication Year
The year of publication must be clearly stated.
Content Access
The Web of Science editorial team must have full access to the published content with all necessary permissions to view that content. The Web of Science will provide IP ranges if needed. Alternatively, publishers may provide a non-expiring username and password. For print-only books, access to a digitized version of the content must be arranged.
Contact Details
Contact details for the submitted book’s primary editorial and production roles must be provided to allow direct communication between the Web of Science and publisher staff.
Editorial Triage
In this step, the Web of Science editors review the book to determine whether a full editorial evaluation is merited. If a book does not pass this step, it is not eligible for re-submission.
Scholarly Content
The book must contain primarily original scholarly material. The academic level of the research reported should be appropriate to a graduate, post-doctoral and/or professional research audience.
Full Front Matter
Published books are expected to clearly and unambiguously present publisher name(s), publication dates, and related information at the outset of the publication and in a way accessible to all users.
Statement of Purpose
The book should be accompanied by a discussion of its author’s or editors’ intent, the argument made or research advanced, and how it achieved those goals. Such statements are often made in a book’s preface or introduction.
Language Requirements
Priority will be given to books presented in English; however, books presented in other languages will be considered if they are of interest to a sufficiently broad research community. Cited references, names, and affiliations must be published in Roman script to allow rapid, accurate indexing, and easy comprehension by our global users.
DOIs, Article Numbering, or Continuous Pagination
Sequential pagination, article numbers, or DOIs should be present to enable the identification of unique items of content.
Timeliness
Priority will be given to books published within the current and the previous year, but exceptions may be considered for completion of coverage.
Editor/Author Affiliation Details
Editors/Authors must be accurately identified. Names should be presented in the book. Institutional affiliations – including country/region – should be presented in the book or otherwise be readily available.
Editorial Evaluation
In this step, the Web of Science editors are checking for alignment between the book’s title, stated scope, and the expertise of its editors and authorship. They are also looking for evidence of editorial rigor and adherence to community standards. If books do not pass this step, re-submissions will not be considered.
Editor/Author Expertise
Editor and author affiliations and publication records must be consistent with the stated scope and purpose of the book.
Clarity of Language
For titles, abstracts, and all other published text presented in English, the language must be clear and comprehensible to a global audience.
Content Relevance
The contents of a book must be consistent with its title and show focus and coherence. The academic level of the research reported should be appropriate for the intended community of the book.
Original Content
Books must primarily consist of original material or otherwise make a unique contribution to the literature.
Appropriate Citations to the Literature
It is expected that content will appropriately acknowledge the surrounding literature for the topic. Books that do not indicate citations will be considered non-scholarly and will be ineligible for evaluation.