Two Lists, One Manuscript: A Data-Driven Journal Selection Model for Polish Researchers (2026–2027)

The 2024 list scores journals on the long-standing 20/40/70/100/140/200 scale. On 13 May 2026, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education announced new rules for compiling the next list. Previous scores are disregarded, and every journal is reassessed [1]. On 2 June 2026, the Ministry said the new list will be published by the end of 2026 and signed in early 2027, and that the signing date determines the year from which the list applies [2].

Which list will score your paper is not yet settled. A manuscript accepted in December 2026 and published in 2027 could fall under either. For habilitation candidates and units preparing for the next evaluation, a wrong guess costs points on papers that are already accepted. Until the Ministry confirms the transitional rules, check every candidate journal against both.

The regulation in force from 27 May 2026 changes how journals reach the list [1]:

A journal at 140 points on the 2024 list with a mid-table citation position could move down. A well-cited journal at 70 points could move up.

Elsevier JournalFinder, Springer Nature Journal Suggester and the Web of Science Manuscript Matcher rank journals by topic fit. The publisher tools search only their own titles. None shows Ministry points under either list, and none tells you whether your APC is covered. Use them to build a long list, not to decide.

National open-access programmes funded through the Wirtualna Biblioteka Nauki (WBN) can cover your APC, but quotas are finite and eligibility depends on dates. In 2026, the Elsevier programme relaunched on 20 May with 1,084 articles, covering hybrid journals only. The Springer programme relaunched on 24 April with 1,381 articles [3]. Only articles accepted after the relaunch qualify, and the corresponding author must list a participating Polish institution [3].

This creates a trap. A hybrid journal may cost you nothing while the quota lasts and the full APC after it runs out. Check the quota status when you submit, and again when you expect acceptance.

Special issues are the most debated part of Polish publishing. KEN’s new power to downgrade journals for unethical practices makes them a points risk as well as an integrity question [1]. Judge each special issue on evidence:

• the ratio of special to regular issues in the past year;
• whether guest editors are independent of the authors;
• whether the journal is still covered in Scopus or Web of Science.

Do not rely on a publisher’s reputation in either direction.

Hijacked journals copy a real title and ISSN. Before you submit, check three sources: the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker, the Scopus list of discontinued titles, and the journal’s own record in Scopus or Web of Science, matched by ISSN and URL. Any mismatch is a stop sign, whatever the points.

The PJSI scores each candidate out of 100. Integrity works as a gate: any red flag excludes the journal, whatever its total.

A clinical epidemiology manuscript is due for submission in November 2026. The three candidate profiles below are illustrative.

Ranked on 2024 points alone, Y or Z would come first. The PJSI puts X first, because its WBN coverage and improving tier outweigh a lower 2024 score. Z is excluded because of its integrity flag.

Score five journals, not one. If the first choice rejects the paper, move to the next without restarting the search, and rescore only what has changed: WBN quota, list status and indexing. Keep a dated record of every score and its source for your evaluation file.

Pubrica illustration of the resubmission cascade.

Submitting before the new list is signed? Send us your abstract. Pubrica will return five journals scored on the PJSI, with points under both lists and APC coverage. Explore Pubrica’s journal selection service.