VAK: list of scientific publications

The effectiveness of the theoretical and practical activities of each scientist depends primarily on the citation of his work. This indicator also affects the rating of the universities in which they teach. On the territory of Russia and a number of post-Soviet countries, there is a special body - the Higher Attestation Commission (VAK). He gives the Ministry of Education and Science recommendations on the assignment of academic titles and degrees, as well as the certification of periodicals.

More about HAC

WAC was established back in the USSR in 1932. The creation of a single body that would confer academic degrees was caused by the need to increase the number of qualified and ideologically mature scientists. They were called upon to adequately assess thesis work. In Soviet times, the body often changed its subordination. For some time he was headed by the Minister of Education. Then the control over the work of the Commission was transferred to the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science.

Since 2011, the VAK is directly reporting to the Ministry of Education and Science. Academic degrees are awarded only by order of the Minister. Now the role of VAK is reduced only to the issue of diplomas to candidates and doctors of science. Also, the commission appropriates the title of professor and associate professor (in the specialty and in the department).

Also, a significant contribution of VAK contributes to the formation of a list of peer-reviewed sources of scientific information. Periodical literature includes journals in which the results of dissertations and other scientific research are printed. Basically, they are the fruits of the work of applicants for academic degrees of candidate and doctor of science. Thus, the WAC lists the journals.

Requirements for scientific publications

Work on the revision of the list of scientific publications was started in 2014. Since then, the list of periodicals has changed more than 3 times. The Ministry of Education and Science receives many statements on the inclusion of scientific publications in the list of VAK. To exclude the passage of journals that publish unverified scientific research data, decisions were made on the revision of scientific publications.

Periodical scientific publications are subject to certain requirements. Only in case of compliance with all criteria is considered the inclusion of the journal in the list of journals included in the HAC.

To date, they include 16 items. Here are some of them:

• The publication must be registered as a mass medium;
• The main content of the journal should be presented by scientific articles, reviews, reviews and reviews;
• In a year there should be no less than 8 issues;
• The publication must have an official website or an Internet page where basic information about it will be posted.

How does the inclusion of the journal in the VAK list

In order to include a scientific publication in the List, the editorial board should send a motivated petition to the chairman of the VAK. It should be attached to the last 2 issues, as well as a certain set of documents, which confirms that the editorial board corresponds to the list of criteria for inclusion of the publication in the list of scientific journals of the VAK.

Also, an information card must be attached to the application, in which the full and short name of the scientific publication, the subscription index, the scientific direction, the percentage of advertising, the state registration number, etc., is indicated.

Based on the decision taken, a decision is made to include a scientific publication in the List. It is published not only on the website of the VAK, but also in the Bulletin of the Ministry of Education and Science.

International databases and citation indexes

An important criterion for the effectiveness of the scientific activity of a higher educational institution is a number of scientometric indicators:

• Hirsch index;
• Impact factor in the RINC and international databases (Web of Science, Scopus);
• Citation index.

It should be noted that the nuacometric indicators are used in the consideration of applications for funding in the framework of scientific grants and targeted programs. Thus, the effectiveness of the activity of scientific and pedagogical workers is evaluated.

List of publications VAK

The scientific community is interested in the number of scientific publications in which it is possible to publish the results of research for a PhD and a candidate. For example, graduate students need at least 3 articles. Applicants for a doctorate publish at least 15 articles. Therefore, a list of scientific publications can not include a hundred and fifty journals, as it was in 2014. Then VAK list was significantly reduced.

The new list (as of December 29, 2015) includes the following journals:

1. Academia. Architecture and construction.
2. Acta Linguistica Petropolitana. Proceedings of the Institute of Linguistic Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
3. Advances in Law Studies.
4. Alma mater (Herald of Higher School).
5. Cardiosomatics.
6. CATHEDRA - DEPARTMENT. Dental education.
7. Consilium Medicum ("Medical consultation").
8. Dental Forum.
9. Epistemology & Philosophy of Sciences ("Epistemology and Philosophy of Science").
10. European Social Science Journal.

A year later, Miobrnauki drew the attention of dissertational councils and scientific organizations to the fact that from July 1, 2015 all articles published in journals not included in the List will not be considered published in peer-reviewed publications. To inform the scientific community, the certification commission launched a web resource where it is possible to leave applications for inclusion of publications in the VAK list, as well as information on the list of journals.

At the moment, the List includes 1745 publications included in it in December 2015. The WAC also published a list of recommended peer-reviewed journals that are included in international databases. It includes 849 editions.

The coming changes

In addition, a letter on the List of peer-reviewed publications was posted on the website of the Higher Attestation Commission. It says that the list of journals is not final and will be subject to revision in 2016. This is a clear obstacle for the publication of articles by researchers and dissertators. In this regard, in 2015, the list included more than 1,000 publications. According to the staff of the Ministry of Education and Science, this decision is hasty, so during 2016 the List will be adjusted.

Magazines that fully meet the requirements of the Higher Attestation Commission, there are no more than 500. As a result, many dissertators and scientists are slow to publish and express serious concern in this regard.

Many scientists hope that the new list of VAK will not only meet the necessary requirements, but will also be more stable than previous versions.