The first session of the 6th convocation of the Hrčak Council was held at SRCE on March 4, 2026, appropriately marking 20 years of successful operation of the Portal of Croatian Scientific and Professional Journals – Hrčak. As a reminder, Hrčak was first presented to the public at a workshop on February 7, 2006, considered its official start.
Over 20 years, Hrčak has evolved into comprehensive support for launching, editing, and publishing journals. The advisory expert body – the Hrčak Council, comprising representatives of journal editors and publishers, librarians, and information specialists – plays a key role in monitoring operations and planning future development. This enables the broader research, academic, and professional community to actively participate in discussions and decisions on Hrčak's status and direction.
In January 2026, the 6th convocation of the Hrčak Council was appointed, with a mandate until February 2028. It includes representatives from the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the National and University Library in Zagreb, the ZNAK Association, and editorial boards of the journals Biochemia Medica, Libellarium, Kairos, and Rudarsko-geološko-naftni zbornik. The list of Council members is available on the Hrčak website.
The ceremonial session was opened by SRCE Director Ivan Marić, who greeted attendees and thanked them for their participation. An overview of Hrčak's development in 2025 was presented, along with the 2026 work plan. Council members discussed these topics, defining priorities and agendas for future sessions. Discussions covered article versioning on Hrčak, challenges posed by the JATS XML standard to journal editorial teams, encouraging editors to define AI tool usage policies, enhancing the Croatian translation of OJS, and other pressing issues vital for Croatian journals. Conclusions from Council sessions significantly aid in shaping Hrčak's further development and identifying priorities.
