Getting a conference proceedings book indexed in Web of Science (CPCI – Conference Proceedings Citation Index) is absolutely possible—but it’s not about a single submission. It’s about building a credible, repeatable conference system that meets Clarivate’s quality filters.
Here’s the real, practical roadmap (used by conferences that actually get accepted):
🎯 1. Understand What WoS CPCI Really Evaluates
Clarivate does not index “a book” alone. It evaluates:
- The conference itself
- The publisher
- The editorial & peer-review system
- The consistency across years
👉 Think: “conference ecosystem”, not just proceedings PDF.
🧱 2. Minimum Structural Requirements (Non-Negotiable)
✅ Conference Identity
- Clear, academic name (avoid generic or spammy titles)
- Defined scope (e.g. trade, economics—not “all sciences”)
- Regular frequency (annual is best)
Example (strong):
“International Conference on Trade, Economics and Business”
✅ Proceedings Book Quality
Must include:
- ISBN (mandatory)
- DOI for each paper (strongly recommended via Crossref)
- Structured metadata (title, abstract, keywords, affiliations)
✅ Publisher
Strong options:
- Springer (LNNS, LNBIP series)
- Elsevier (Procedia – limited now)
- IEEE (for technical fields)
👉 Independent publishing is possible, but MUCH harder.
🔍 3. Peer Review System (Critical)
This is where most fail.
You must show:
- Double-blind peer review
- At least 2 reviewers per paper
- Clear acceptance rate (target: 30–60%)
- Published review policy
👉 Use systems like:
- Open Journal Systems (you mentioned this — good choice)
- EasyChair / ConfTool (also accepted)
🌍 4. Internationalization (Very Important)
Clarivate checks diversity:
- Authors from multiple countries
- Editorial board international
- Reviewers from different institutions
- Conference language: English only
🚨 Red flag:
80–90% authors from one country = high rejection risk
📊 5. Academic Credibility Signals
You need:
- Recognized keynote speakers
- University partnerships
- Transparent committees (real academics, verifiable)
- Ethics policies:
- Plagiarism
- Retraction
- Complaints (you already added this 👍)
🧾 6. Publishing Format (How to Structure Proceedings)
Best structure:
- Front matter
- Preface
- Committees
- Peer review statement
- Table of contents
- Papers (DOI + metadata)
- Index
📬 7. How to Apply (Actual Process)
You don’t directly “upload a book”.
Instead:
Step 1:
Publish proceedings (online + ISBN + DOI)
Step 2:
Ensure indexing visibility:
- Google Scholar
- Crossref
- Institutional repositories
Step 3:
Submit to Clarivate:
👉 via publisher OR direct evaluation request:
- Clarivate submission system
Link:
https://clarivate.com/webofsciencegroup/journal-evaluation-process/
⏳ 8. Timeline Reality
- First evaluation: 3–9 months
- Often requires 2–3 conference editions
- Acceptance rarely happens on first attempt
🚨 9. Common Reasons for Rejection
Avoid these:
❌ Fake or weak peer review
❌ Too many local authors
❌ No DOI / bad metadata
❌ Predatory look (spam emails, fast acceptance)
❌ No academic reputation
❌ One-time conference (no continuity)
⚡ 10. Strategic Shortcut (What Actually Works Best)
If your goal is fast WoS CPCI entry, do this:
Option A (Best)
Partner with:
- Springer conference series
- IEEE conference
👉 They handle indexing pipeline
Option B (Independent but Strong)
Build:
- OJS-based system ✔ (you already plan this)
- Strict peer review ✔
- International editorial board ✔
- DOI + ISBN ✔
- Annual repetition ✔
Then apply after 2nd or 3rd edition
🧠 Pro Insight (Important for You)
Since you’re running InTraders conference, your best path is:
👉 Position it as:
- “International Trade & Economics Conference”
- Narrow scope (NOT too broad)
- Strong academic branding
👉 Then:
- Use OJS for review tracking
- Publish proceedings professionally
- Build citation + visibility
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