Anyone publishing academically in Türkiye runs into one term sooner or later: TR Dizin. It comes up constantly in incentive, associate-professorship and appointment processes as "covered by TR Dizin." So what exactly is it, and how does it concern you?
What is TR Dizin?
TR Dizin is a national database and index run by TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM. It evaluates peer-reviewed journals published in Türkiye against specific criteria for content quality, publication ethics and process transparency. When a journal meets these criteria, it is included in TR Dizin and its articles are indexed.
In short, TR Dizin is a national quality filter: being covered shows the journal has passed a defined review.
Why does it matter for academics?
In many academic evaluation processes in Türkiye — incentive applications, associate-professorship criteria, appointments and promotions — publications in TR Dizin journals are counted. So when publishing in a national journal, whether it is in TR Dizin often has a direct career impact.
How do journals get indexed?
Here is the most commonly confused point: journals apply to TR Dizin, not authors. A journal applies to ULAKBİM through its editorial board and is evaluated on criteria such as:
- Content and scientific quality: Originality and field contribution of the articles.
- Publication ethics: Ethics-committee review, plagiarism checks, conflict-of-interest statements.
- Review process: A transparent, functioning peer review system.
- Regularity and format: On-time publication, masthead, DOI and other technical standards.
If the journal meets the criteria, it is included; if not, corrections are requested or it stays out.
Your job: submit to the right journal
As an author, what you need to do is submit your paper to a fitting journal that is already in TR Dizin. That takes you back to the steps for choosing the right journal: scope fit, trust and time. Being in TR Dizin is a strong trust signal but not the only criterion; some journals are also in international indexes such as Scopus.
How to check if a journal is in TR Dizin
- Go to the official TR Dizin journal list.
- Search the journal's full name.
- Trust the TR Dizin list directly, not the claim on the journal's own site.
If a journal says it's "in TR Dizin" but isn't on the list, that can be a predatory journal sign. Always verify indexing claims at the source.
TR Dizin or an international index?
They aren't mutually exclusive. TR Dizin matters for national visibility and incentives, while SCI/SSCI and Scopus stand out for international impact. Choose your journal based on your goal — national evaluation or international visibility. The ideal is a journal that carries value in both worlds.