KCI

by

Korea’s national citation index — the Korean-language research the global indexes miss.

At a Glance

PublisherNational Research Foundation of Korea (NRF); established 2007
CoverageSouth Korean academic journals and their citation data from 2004 onward, the majority Korean-language with some English-language Korean journals
Accessfree; also surfaced internationally as the KCI Korean Journal Database inside the Web of Science platform
Regionalthe authoritative index for Korean scholarship, especially humanities and social sciences.

Our Take

KCI exists to solve a specific, well-documented gap: Korean-language research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, is systematically under-represented in Scopus and Web of Science. As the NRF’s national citation database it’s the authoritative source for that literature and its citation relationships — and helpfully, Clarivate surfaces it inside Web of Science, so WoS users can reach Korean regional content in a familiar interface. It’s national in scope and largely Korean-language. For any topic with a meaningful Korean research base, check KCI rather than assuming the global indexes captured it.

Power Tips

  • For Korean research, especially in the humanities and social sciences, search KCI directly — or via the KCI Korean Journal Database in Web of Science if that’s your platform
  • use it to frame Korean regional work within global citation context rather than treating Scopus/WoS coverage as complete.

Alternatives & Complements

Web of Science (KCI database) · Scopus · OpenAlex · DBpia · RISS.