How to determine a journal’s country

In detail

Determining a journal’s country seems simple, but in practice authors often make mistakes here. An international-sounding title, an English-language website, or a familiar domain does not yet mean that the journal actually belongs to the country assumed by the author.

Why there are so many mistakes here

• the website is in English;
• the title sounds “international”;
• the domain is .com or .org;
• there are foreign specialists on the editorial board;
• the journal uses Latin script and a Western style of presentation.

But none of this gives a reliable answer.

What to look at first

The main reference point is the current publisher and its officially stated address. These data best show which country the journal belongs to in a publishing and bibliographic sense.

It is best checked step by step

• 1. The journal website: who is listed as publisher, what official address is given, what is written in About Journal, where the editorial office is located, and whether publishing information or an imprint is provided.
• 2. ISSN Portal and bibliographic records: these may show the publication title, publisher, place of publication, and resource version.
• 3. Scopus Source Details: if the journal is indexed in Scopus, its source card in the database should also be reviewed.
• 4. Additional metadata: sometimes it is useful to check registration details in Crossref or other catalogues.

What should not be used as the main criterion

• the domain zone;
• the interface language;
• the editor’s citizenship;
• the phrase “international journal”;
• the ISSN number.

For example, ISSN does not encode a country. You cannot tell where a journal is published from the number alone.

Why this matters

• when choosing a publication venue;
• in reporting;
• when assessing the publisher’s reputation;
• when verifying the reliability of information about the journal.

What is important to remember

A journal’s country is determined primarily by the publisher and the official bibliographic record, not by the look of the website or the journal’s title.