Reference / Changelog
Product changelog
What changed in ScholarVault, when it changed, and where to learn the workflow. Open a release to see the details.
About this history
This timeline follows the product history supplied by ScholarVault, from its original conference auditor through the V2 platform. Entries describe development milestones; availability can depend on release rollout, configuration, account role and conference edition. Check the current workspace for available actions.
This timeline follows the product history supplied by ScholarVault, from its original conference auditor through the V2 platform. Entries describe development milestones; availability can depend on release rollout, configuration, account role and conference edition. Check the current workspace for available actions.
October 2026 — Researcher Workspace & Organizer Tools
DOI & arXiv Quick Import, University Suggestions, and Conflict Checks1-click paper import using DOIs and arXiv links, university suggestions across submissions and profiles, and automatic reviewer affiliation conflict notices.
Paper import & submission tracking
- Paste any paper DOI (e.g. 10.1016/...) or arXiv link to fetch publication details—including title, authors, year, venue, and open-access PDF links—directly into your Research Vault or Universal Submission Tracker.
- Preview paper details before saving, with duplicate detection to keep your vault clean.
University suggestions & reviewer checks
- Start typing your university in abstract submissions, co-author lists, or your profile to see verified global university suggestions. You can also type any unlisted college freely without restriction.
- Conference organizers now see an affiliation badge when assigning reviewers, helping identify potential institutional conflicts of interest before assigning papers.
Documentation
- Updated the Research Vault documentation and reference guide with simple instructions for DOI and arXiv imports and university affiliation suggestions.
Researcher Referrals and ScholarVault CreditsPersonal researcher invitations, 250 SVC for each qualifying participant, and a mobile printer reveal with clearer referral guidance.
Researcher referral program
- Share a personal referral code or invitation link from the profile menu or dashboard gift icon. Track successful referrals, those waiting to qualify and credits earned.
- Both researchers receive 250 SVC after the referred account verifies its primary email and successfully submits a conference abstract. Rewards are issued once per referred account; self-referrals are rejected.
- The mobile invitation prints from an illustrated machine, types the referral code and tears free along a perforated edge. Skip and Replay controls support quick sharing and repeat viewing.
Documentation
- Added the referral guide, qualification example and status definitions, along with Academic Impact guidance and clearer explanations of credit metering and documentation feedback.
Dashboard, Submission & Acceptance Letter RefinementsResponsive dashboard and submission fixes, clearer conference controls and empty states, and a more compact mobile acceptance-letter view.
Researcher dashboard and submission experience
- Improved conference tabs and empty states, dark-mode submission cards, mobile filters, and submission status timelines to prevent clipped or crowded content.
- Documented how to respond to an abstract revision request through the existing submission record, keeping private Research Vault drafts separate from submitted work.
Organizer acceptance letters and documentation
- Refined acceptance-letter generation and made the live letter view compact on mobile, with zoom available for reading details.
- Updated product guides and added a private documentation feedback form for reporting unclear or missing information.
September 2026 — Academic Intelligence Suite & Researcher Workspace
ORCID and Researcher Workspace UpdatesORCID sign-in and publication import, connected Conference Finder, submission tracking and Research Vault workflows, plus a more focused dashboard and mobile refinements.
ORCID sign-in and publication import
- ORCID is available as a sign-in option. Signing in and importing publications are separate actions.
- Researchers can fetch works marked public on an ORCID record, review the matched publication details, and choose records to add to their Research Vault or submission tracker.
A more focused researcher dashboard
- New researcher dashboards start in Compact mode to reduce empty panels. Users can switch between Compact and Comfortable in Customize Dashboard.
Conference discovery and submission tracking
- Conference Finder and SCVS evidence review help researchers assess conference information before deciding where to submit.
- The Universal Submission Tracker keeps a researcher's submissions and editorial statuses together, including records selected during publication import.
A connected Research Vault
- Researchers can organize imported publications and uploaded documents in the Vault, and keep private abstract drafts separate from conference submissions.
Mobile and text reliability refinements
- Removed decorative arrow characters from Research Vault action labels and centered the Profile modal loading message.
- Added a build and CI text-encoding scan to catch common mojibake patterns before they reach a release.
September 2026 — Academic Intelligence Suite & V2 Production Cutover
Researcher Workspace & Draft Academic Impact EstimatesResearcher publication tools, submission tracking, and scholarly metadata integrations, including a draft PBAS estimate workflow.
UGC Regulations 2018 (Table 2) PBAS Draft Estimate
- Preliminary Academic Performance Indicator (API) calculations to help researchers prepare a working estimate for CAS or recruitment review; this is not an official determination.
- Publication records can be entered for Category 1 calculations, with author-role and journal-impact details available for the draft estimate.
- Conference presentation records can be entered for Category 2 draft calculations, with the configured stage cap applied to the estimate.
- PDF and printable HTML exports are working drafts that require institutional review and supporting evidence; they are not official assessments or certifications.
Universal Academic Submission Tracker
- Unified multi-venue tracking for submissions across major publishers (Elsevier, IEEE, Springer Nature, ACM, Wiley) and preprint servers (arXiv, Zenodo, bioRxiv).
- Editorial task separation distinguishing actionable items (Revisions Requested, Proof Review) from pending items (Under Review, Awaiting Decision).
- Open Access identification with direct legal repository resolution.
Live Scholarly API Pipelines
- Crossref Integration: Real-time DOI resolution fetching structured citation metadata and Crossmark retraction status flags.
- Unpaywall Integration: Legal open-access PDF locator to surface publisher-compliant full texts instantly.
- OpenAlex & ORCID Live Sync: 1-click author metrics synchronization pulling verified works counts, total citations, h-index, and i10-index directly into the researcher profile.
Google Scholar & ResearchGate Publication Importer
- Zero-dependency parser handling BibTeX (.bib), RIS (.ris), and Google Scholar CSV exports.
- Native support for ResearchGate private and working-paper DOIs (10.13140/RG).
- Interactive multi-select review table with dual destination toggles (Add to Research Vault vs. Track in Universal Tracker).
Design System & Mobile Overhaul
- Enforced standardized 38px desktop / 40px mobile form input heights.
- Responsive horizontal scrolling wrappers for complex multi-column academic data tables (< 768px).
Organizer Intelligence & Public People DataEmpowering conference organizers with dynamic target metrics and verified speaker registries.
Dynamic Conference Target Telemetry
- Real-time countdowns and progress bars tracking submission targets, registration capacity, and review deadlines.
Public Speaker & Committee Registry (`/api/conferences/[slug]/public-people`)
- Cached, CDN-accelerated endpoint delivering verified keynote speakers, session chairs, and committee rosters to public conference landing sites.
- High-resolution avatar uploads with dark/light mode backdrop contrast optimization.
Conference-Specific Branded Workspaces & UI ModalityDynamic multi-tenant workspace adaptation adhering to individual conference visual identities.
Adaptive Visual Theming
- Conference operations interface dynamically adopts edition brand guidelines (e.g., emerald/slate for ISIAI, deep-tech indigo/gold for SVRIDS).
Modality-Aware Acceptance Letters
- Separate legal clauses and visa verification clauses for in-person delegates vs. virtual oral presenters.
- Embedded cryptographic QR codes linking to public tamper-evident verification pages.
CORS & Trust Badge Preflight
- Hardened CORS configuration allowing verified conference microsites to embed live ScholarVault Trust Badges.
Context-Aware Conference Discovery & Voice SearchPrecision candidate discovery with AI query intent parsing and geographic relevance filtering.
Sarvam AI Voice Search Integration
- Multilingual Speech-to-Text (voice-stt) and Text-to-Speech (voice-tts) endpoints enabling spoken search queries in regional dialects.
Intent Parsing & Rolling 90-Day Horizon
- Natural language query parser separating disciplinary domain from geographic target (e.g., "Computer Vision in Bangalore this November").
- Automatic filtering to hide expired conference editions and clone aggregator mirrors.
Candidate Relevancy Feedback
- User feedback mechanism on candidate relevance to continuously fine-tune ranking models.
Accountless Guest Submission Intake & Reviewer WorkspaceReducing author friction while providing robust peer review management tools.
Secure Guest Conference Submission Intake
- Frictionless manuscript submission for first-time authors without prior account creation.
- Automatic submission claiming and identity linking upon subsequent sign-in via Clerk/Google.
- WhatsApp and international country code auto-detection with timezone alignment.
Dedicated Reviewer Workspace
- In-browser manuscript PDF reader with secure, watermarked viewing.
- Download telemetry tracking for audit integrity.
- Structured rubric-based evaluation forms with confidential author/organizer remark separation.
Dual Payment Rail Foundation
- Integration of Federal Bank Omniware for domestic Indian delegates (UPI, RuPay, NetBanking).
- Integration of Dodo Payments for global international delegates (Credit Cards, USD billing).
ScholarVault V2 Production Baseline & Guided OnboardingLaunching the comprehensive V2 portal architecture.
Role-Based Portal Architecture
- Scaffolding of dedicated workspaces: Researcher, Organizer, Reviewer.
- Guided interactive onboarding tour (DashboardWelcomeTour) with role-tailored step checklists.
Credit & Billing Foundations
- Introduction of monthly billing grants, assessment consumption credits, and currency-aware pricing ($ USD / ₹ INR).
August 2026 — Verifiable Credentials & Live Event Operations
Digital Credential Engine & Multi-Role LifecycleTransitioning from a conference evaluation tool to an end-to-end academic credential issuing platform.
Tamper-Evident Credential Engine
- Cryptographically signed digital certificates for participation, best paper awards, and peer review service.
- Public verification gateway (/verify/credential/[number]) with instant QR code scanning.
Credential Lifecycle & Correction Workflows
- Self-serve attendee correction requests (name spelling, institutional affiliation, title amendments).
- Organizer review queue with 1-click re-issuance and revocation audit logs.
Centralized Event Email Service
- Unified asynchronous delivery worker powered by Resend with queued outbox delivery and delivery receipt tracking.
Database Schema Expansion
- Migration of live conference operations, reviewer assignment workflows, and immutable credential event logs in Supabase.
July 2026 — The Architectural Re-Platforming (Monolith to App Router Dashboard)
Migration from Single-Page Web App to Next.js App Router DashboardThe defining structural milestone: dissolving the legacy single-page interface into an enterprise-grade multi-page SaaS dashboard.
Deconstruction of Monolithic `page.tsx`
- Extraction of monolithic search and verification components into dedicated App Router subtrees: /dashboard — Central researcher cockpit powered by unified UserProvider. /verify — Standalone SCVS Conference Verification Engine. /discover — High-density Call for Papers (CFP) discovery explorer. /vault — Dedicated Research Vault replacing local browser storage with persistent state. /alerts — Chronological CFP deadline tracking with color-coded milestone pills. /blacklist — Public predatory conference directory and deceptive organizer registry. /settings — Profile management, ORCID linking, and notification preferences.
Performance & Cold-Start Optimization
- Dynamic next/dynamic lazy loading for heavy modals, PDF rendering engines, and splash screens.
- Resolution of SSR hydration mismatches and strict Content Security Policy (CSP) enforcement.
June 2026 — Architectural Blueprinting & Security Tightening
Multi-Tenant Architecture & Data IsolationPlanning and preparatory infrastructure for the multi-role platform.
Role & Persona Schema Design
- Architecting data separation between researcher submissions, organizer administrative controls, and reviewer evaluations.
Session & Identity Groundwork
- Integrating Clerk authentication middleware with Supabase Row Level Security (RLS) policies.
- Removing anonymous client bypasses in favor of strictly scoped database roles.
May 2026 — Communications Infrastructure & Service Resilience
Transactional Emailing & Live Support MigrationImproving delivery reliability and direct customer interaction channels.
Transactional Email Templates v2
- Redesigned, mobile-responsive HTML email templates for welcome onboarding, audit report delivery, and passwordless authentication.
Support Chat Modernization
- Deprecated legacy Crisp Chat widget in favor of lightweight Tawk.to across primary and conference domains.
- CSP updates permitting zero-latency live chat script execution.
Database Client Hardening
- Refactored server-side Supabase client initialization to prevent auth session token leakage on public edge routes.
April 2026 — Monetization, Telemetry & ScholarVault Gold
Payment Gateways, Analytics & QR VerificationIntroducing paid tiers and deeper audit verification capabilities.
ScholarVault Gold & Dodo Payments Checkout
- Official launch of ScholarVault Gold subscription plans for researchers requiring unlimited SCVS audits and automated CFP monitoring.
- Seamless international checkout flow with redirect return handling to application dashboard.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Telemetry
- Client-side event instrumentation tracking search funnels, audit triggers, and upgrade conversions.
Tamper-Evident Report Verification
- Integrated dynamic verification QR codes on PDF reports, pre-fetching images to prevent print rendering blank spots.
Guest Gold Checkout
- Enabled one-off report purchases for non-logged-in researchers inspecting urgent conference venues.
March 2026 — SCVS Audit Engine v3.4, Growth Engine & Early Vault
Academic Growth Engine & Forensic Predator DetectionExpanding the platform from an ad-hoc scanner into a daily habit for academic researchers.
Audit Engine v3.4 Deployment
- Expanded heuristic ruleset incorporating 22 newly detected predatory academic organizers and paper-mill fronts.
- Automated blocking of deceptive conference aggregator hub domains.
- University trust heuristics: domain reputation algorithms granting automatic trust bonuses to legitimate .edu, .ac.uk, .ac.in and .edu.au institutional organizers.
Academic Growth Mechanics
- Daily research verification streak tracker with gamified Academic XP system (+1 for running an audit, +2 for saving verified citations).
- Initial referral experiments offered complimentary Gold access. The October 2, 2026 program uses qualifying ScholarVault Credit rewards instead.
- Featured legitimate conferences curated directly on the home interface.
PWA & Desktop Convenience
- Progressive Web App (PWA) manifest support with clipboard auto-detection for instant URL analysis upon opening the app.
- PWA share target registration on mobile operating systems.
Vector PDF Reports & Headless CrawlingOvercoming dynamic single-page conference websites and generating printable audit documentation.
Firecrawl Headless Scraping Integration
- Integrated headless SPA crawler to parse modern JavaScript-rendered conference websites (React, Vue, Wix) that blocked standard fetch scrapers.
Client-Side PDF Report Generation
- Re-engineered PDF export to use client-side vector printing (window.print()), bypassing serverless Chromium binary size limitations on Vercel AL2023 environments.
Interactive Circular SVG Progress
- Redesigned the conference scanning screen with real-time SVG progress rings displaying individual forensic checks (Domain Age, Committee Verification, Indexing Claims, Payment Channels).
The First "Research Vault" Prototype
- Initial bookmarking capability allowing scholars to save inspected conferences and revisit historical audit scores.
Community Reporting Engine
- Crowdsourced reporting mechanism enabling researchers to submit suspicious conference URLs for verification review.
February 2026 — The Genesis: ScholarVault v1.0 (The Original Web App)
Single-Page Conference Auditor & Predator RadarThe inaugural launch of ScholarVault as a standalone predatory conference verification utility.
The Original Single-Page Auditor Interface
- Simple, focused single-page interface (pre-dashboard): a centered search bar accepting any conference URL or CFP title.
- Instant diagnostic output screen displaying a 0–100 Trust Score and High Risk / Suspicious / Verified badge.
Core Deceptive Publisher Heuristics (SCVS v1.0)
- First-generation matching against conference predatory aggregators, publishers, and paper-mill networks.
- Domain age calculation via WHOIS lookups to flag conferences registered less than 90 days before event dates.
- Generic contact detection (Gmail/Yahoo organizer addresses, missing institutional affiliations).
- Unrealistic indexing claims detector (false claims of Scopus, Web of Science, or IEEE Xplore indexing).
Beall's List & Predatory Journal Cross-Referencing
- Cross-referencing organizer imprints against historical Beall’s list archives and UGC-CARE blacklists.
Lightweight Academic Web Architecture
- Lightweight Next.js single-page deployment built for instant, account-free evaluation by Indian researchers and faculty.