India loses approximately ₹500 crore annually to predatory conferences — events that collect registration fees, issue fake certificates, and provide zero academic value. For early-career researchers and PhD students, falling for a predatory conference can damage credibility and waste research funds. The ScholarVault Score exists to end this guesswork.
The 4 Pillars of the ScholarVault Score
Pillar 1 — Transparency (92%)
Does the conference clearly state who organizes it, where the proceedings are published, and what the exact fees are — with no hidden charges? ICAHCR displays its complete fee structure on the registration page, including the breakdown of what each tier covers. The organizing committee is publicly listed with verifiable affiliations. Score: 92/100.
Pillar 2 — Anti-Predatory (95%)
This is the most important pillar. It checks whether the conference appears on predatory registries (Beall's List and equivalents), whether the peer review process is genuine, and whether promises (like "Scopus indexing") are real or aspirational marketing. ICAHCR makes no false indexing claims, conducts genuine double-blind review, and is not listed on any predatory registry. Score: 95/100.
Pillar 3 — Peer Review Quality (90%)
Is the peer review process rigorous? Are reviewers qualified? How many reviewers per paper? ICAHCR uses a minimum of 2–3 reviewers per submission, with reviewers drawn from domain-relevant academic and clinical backgrounds. The review criteria (originality, methodology, significance, clarity) are published openly. Score: 90/100.
Pillar 4 — Proceedings Quality (88%)
Are the proceedings published with a legitimate ISBN? Are DOIs assigned to individual papers for permanent citation tracking? ICAHCR assigns a registered ISBN volume and individual DOIs through a reputable DOI registration agency. Score: 88/100. (The 12-point gap reflects that ICAHCR, as a first-year conference, does not yet have historical precedent to evaluate.)
The Badge Tier System
| Score Range | Tier | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Platinum | Highest trust. Zero predatory signals. Fully transparent. |
| 75–89 | Silver | Legitimate with minor gaps (e.g., first edition, limited history). |
| 60–74 | Gold | Caution advised. Verify specific claims before submitting. |
| Below 60 | Flagged | High risk of being predatory. Do not submit without thorough verification. |
Why This Matters for Your Career
Many Indian funding agencies, universities, and promotion committees now ask researchers to justify the quality of conferences they've published in. A ScholarVault Platinum badge provides documented, third-party verification — useful for promotion applications, grant reports, and academic CVs.
For PhD students particularly, submitting to a predatory conference can result in your paper being rejected from legitimate journals later (many journals check if work has been "published" previously — even in fake proceedings). The ScholarVault score is a safeguard against this risk.
- The ScholarVault Score evaluates 4 pillars: Transparency, Anti-Predatory, Peer Review Quality, and Proceedings Quality.
- ICAHCR 2026 scored Platinum 92/100 — the highest tier, indicating zero predatory signals.
- The badge is useful as documented evidence for university promotion committees and grant applications.
- A 100/100 score is not achievable for a first-edition conference — historical precedent is a scoring factor.
Verified. Trusted. Transparent.
Submit to ICAHCR 2026 — Platinum Verified
Deadline: June 30, 2026 · ISBN + DOI · No hidden fees