DOAJ is inviting all Mexican و Indonesian journals not currently indexed in DOAJ to use the new pre-assessment checklist. This pre-assessment checklist isn’t a replacement for the DOAJ application or review process, but a practical tool that will help our community better understand good publishing practices, assess their readiness, and identify areas for improvement before applying. This checklist is available in الإنجليزية و الإسبانية.
In 2025, we received nearly 9,000 journal applications. While many journals are working towards meeting recognised standards of transparency and editorial best practices, many do not yet have all the necessary information or practices in place to meet our criteria before applying. We reject around 75% of the applications we receive, and rejected journals usually wait up to six months before reapplying.
We can see that many of the issues identified during our review could be addressed before application if journals had more guidance and support. Giving journals an opportunity to review their readiness in advance can help them identify areas for improvement in their practices and strengthen their applications. In addition, this also aligns with our 2026-2028 strategy by helping extend the coverage of DOAJ and support the inclusion of more quality open access journals.
Building on an earlier project with China, DOAJ is launching a new initiative, a pre-assessment checklist, to help journals better understand good publishing practice, assess their readiness for applying, and identify areas for improvement. Before building something more efficient for future use, we have decided to only invite journals from Mexico and Indonesia as a first step to help us test and decide next steps.
Why did we choose Mexico and Indonesia?
Mexico and Indonesia were selected as the first two countries because they have an increasing number of applications, and a slightly higher rejection rate than our average. We also have strong local partnerships in these regions. By starting with a focused project, we can gather valuable feedback, refine the checklist, and build something even more effective for our whole community.
Checklist content
The pre-assessment checklist is based on the basic requirements outlined in our Guide to Applying. It covers six main sections:
- Journal identity (5 items)
- Open access (11 items)
- Journal website (3 items)
- Peer review (2 items)
- Journal integrity (7 items)
- Editorial information (2 items)
Each item is scored based on whether the journal meets the requirement. Journals that achieve the full score (30 points) are considered ready to proceed with a formal DOAJ application.
At the end of the checklist, there is also an open field where we welcome any feedback that journals may have on the checklist. As a community-led organisation, your feedback is essential to our work. We’ll be using the information collected from the checklist to guide continued development of the tool.
Where can you find the checklist?
We have provided a الإسبانية و الإنجليزية version of the checklist for journals in Mexico و Indonesia. We invite all Mexican و Indonesian journals not currently indexed in DOAJ to review their journal and website against the checklist.
Journals can use the results to identify issues and make necessary corrections. Taking these steps before applying can prevent submission embargoes caused by issues that could have been identified and resolved beforehand.
