| Sr. | Question | Answer (Updated per Policy 2025) |
| 1 | What is the procedure for HEC Journal Recognition? | i. HEC issues an annual Call for Accreditation of Pakistan based Journals through its website.
ii. All Journals recognized previously or new are required to apply fresh for recognition and accreditation.
iii. Applications are only accepted through the HEC online portal no hardcopy or email submissions.
iv. All documentary evidence required by the online form must be uploaded before the deadline.
v. A non-refundable processing fee must be deposited along with the application (see Q. 31). |
| 2 | What are the eligibility criteria for HEC Journal recognition? | Mandatory eligibility criteria are listed in Section 4 of the HEC Journals and Publications Policy (2024, amended 2025). Key requirements include:
• Clearly defined aims, scope, and objectives.
• Valid ISSN, title, and URL (verified by ISSN International Register).
• Online availability with an archive of previous issues.
• Explicit display of submission process, publication fees, and funding sources.
• At least five (5) articles per issue published in the preceding calendar year.
• Publisher must be a registered public or private HEI, research institute, or nonprofit academic society registered with SECP or Registrar of Societies. The maximum number of the articles per issue shall be 30. For details please visit Journal's Policy as available on website . |
| 3 | How are Pakistani journals categorized? | Based on indexing and quality, journals fall into:
W Category: Indexed in Web of Science Core Collections (SCIE, SSCI, AHCI).
X Category: Indexed in ESCI or Scopus with additional quality conditions - 25 % International authorship.
- Open Journal Management System (OJS) or similar Journal Management systems adopted for submission, acceptance, and rejection as well as peer review process of research articles.
- Self-Institutional publication and Editor(s) /Editorial Board members publication is not allowed.
- Published articles peer-reviewed by well-reputed international experts in relevant fields.
Y Category: Meets HEC basic criteria or indexed in Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, CNKI, and DOAJ. |
| 4 | What is the funding amount and duration for each category? | Funding is provided subject to the following category:
• Y Category: Up to Rs. 250,000 (seed funding for newly indexed/recognized journals only from deserving public HEIs that do not charge publication fees. Funding is granted for a maximum of two (2) years inclusive of any previous support. |
| 5 | Can a journal lose HEC recognition? | Yes. Failure to meet HEC quality, ethical, financial, or reporting standards may result in de-listing or de-recognition after due process. |
| 6 | Can a rejected journal reapply or appeal? | Yes. An appeal may be submitted to the Ethical Appeal Review Board (EARB) upon payment of the prescribed appeal fee. Alternatively, journals may reapply in the next Call for Applications after eradicating deficiencies. |
| 7 | Can editorial board members publish in their own journal?
| No |
| 8 | Is there any exception that editorial board members can publish in their own journal? | Limited exceptions apply exclusive journals of regional languages of Pakistan and National Strategic Journals: 1. Contributions from editorial board members must not exceed 10% of the total number of articles in any given issue. 2. An editorial board member is permitted to publish only one article in the journal within a two-year period. After publication, the member will be ineligible to submit another manuscript to the same journal for the next two years. 3. All submitted manuscripts must undergo a through peer review by independent foreign international experts who are not affiliated with the journals and the author's institution. |
| 9 | What is the composition of editorial and advisory boards? | Both boards must be separate entities.
• Members must hold a PhD degree (or FCPS/FRCS/MCPS for medical journals).
• Members should have a credible research background.
• Both boards must be publicly listed on the journal's website. |
| 10 | Is use of an online system like OJS mandatory? | Yes. Journals must use OJS or a similar online system for submissions, review, and publication of articles to ensure transparency and traceability. |
| 11 | Are print-only journals eligible? | No. Journals must have an active online presence with a functioning website, valid ISSN, and online accessible archives. |
| 12 | How many articles must be published per issue? | Each issue must contain at least five (5) research articles. A journal may publish a maximum of 30 articles per issue as per the revised policy. |
| 13 | Can an author publish multiple papers in the same issue? | No. Only one article per author per issue (either as first, corresponding, or co-author) is allowed in same issue. |
| 14 | Are there specific rules for medical journals? | Yes. Editorial members must hold FCPS/FRCS/MCPS or equivalent degrees and maintain the same quality and ethical standards as other disciplines. |
| 15 | What qualifications are required for the journal editor? | The Editor must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent professional qualification for medical journals). |
| 16 | Who evaluates the accreditation of journals at HEC? | A committee of subject experts constituted by HEC evaluates journals based on eligibility and quality criteria. |
| 17 | What is meant by “transparency"? | Journals must disclose their submission process, publication fees (if any), peer-review mechanism, and funding sources clearly on their website. |
| 18 | Can HEC funding cover printing costs? | No. Funding is exclusively for Journal quality enhancement activities e.g., payment to indexing agencies, website/OJS development, peer-review support etc. |
| 19 | Is there a specific format for Pakistan based Journals to apply? | Yes. Applications must be submitted through the HEC online portal ( https://research.hec.gov.pk/) after announcement of annual Call for Applications, along with required documents and processing fee.
How to apply (Video Guide) |
| 20 | What ethical standards must journals follow? | Journals must display an Ethics Policy addressing plagiarism, authorship, and conflict of interest. Compliance with COPE guidelines is strongly recommended. |
| 21 | What happens if publication schedules are missed? | Lack of regularity or failure to publish scheduled issues can lead to De-recognition for that year. |
| 22 | Can a journal change its name, frequency, or publisher? | Yes, but such changes must be reported to HEC in advance for approval and reflected in ISSN records and the website. A change in publisher may trigger re-evaluation. |
| 23 | Are interdisciplinary journals eligible to apply? | Yes, if their scope is clearly defined and aligns with recognized academic disciplines. |
| 24 | Can journals charge publication fees? | Yes, but only if clearly disclosed on the website. However, Y-category journals receiving seed funding from HEC may not charge publication fees. |
| 25 | What is meant by “self-institutional publication"? | Articles authored by individuals from the same institution that publishes the journal. The limit is maximum 20% per issue. |
| 26 | What is the difference between Editorial and Advisory Boards? | Editorial Board: Manages peer-review and journal operations.
Advisory Board: Provides strategic and academic guidance only.
Both must consist of qualified experts and remain independent. |
| 27 | What are the reporting obligations after receiving funding? | Journals must submit a duly audited utilization report covering website/OJS development, indexing expenses, and peer-review honoraria to HEC. |
| 28 | Can journals publish in languages other than English? | Yes, but titles and abstracts must be in English for discoverability. |
| 29 | Is an Impact Factor mandatory for W-category recognition? | Yes. Only journals indexed in SCIE, SSCI, or AHCI (Web of Science)—which have an official Impact Factor—qualify for W category. |
| 30 | What are the timelines for Y-category journals to achieve indexing? | Journals must secure indexing in HEC-recognized databases within:
• 7 years (for journals recognized before Oct 2024).
• 5 years (for journals recognized after Oct 2024).
Failure to comply will result in discontinuation of Y-category status. |
| 31 | Is there a processing fee for applying or appealing? | Yes. Non refundable & non Transferable
• Public Sector HEIs/Think Tanks: Rs. 25,000/-
• Private Sector HEIs/Societies/Foundations: Rs. 50,000/-
• Appeal Fee: Same as above (for EARB appeals). |
| 32 | How international authorship and review defined? | For X-category journals: at least 25% of authors must be international, and peer-review must involve foreign experts with relevant expertise. |
| 33 | Can a newly launched journal apply for Y-category immediately? | No. Journals must show at least one year of consistent publication (minimum one volume with ≥5 articles per issue). |
| 34 | How should journals handle research misconduct (e.g., plagiarism)? | Journals must follow COPE aligned procedures, take corrective actions, and report serious cases to HEC. |
| 35 | What is the role of Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs)? | QECs verify faculty/student publications and can access HEC's digital library for validation. They are not responsible for journal accreditation. |
