Level 1 is the basic category of the Publication Forum classification that contains the vast majority of foreign and domestic peer-reviewed publication channels. Open access journals are accepted in the classification and evaluated using the same criteria applicable to conventional publication series. The Level 1 designation can be awarded to domestic and foreign journals/series, conferences and book publishers meeting the following criteria:

1. The publication channel's website has a transparent description of the editorial board and the peer review process. (A book publisher may meet Level 1 criteria even if the editorial board and peer review process are not described on the website.)
2. The publication channel is specialised in the publication of scientific or scholarly research outcomes and it publishes peer-reviewed scientific publications on a regular basis.
3. The publication channel’s editorial board constitutes of experts, who mainly include researchers working in universities or research institutes.
4. The entire manuscripts of scientific or scholarly articles or books are subject to peer review, which is carried out blindly or openly by external scientific experts invited by the editors. (A book publisher may meet the Level 1 criteria if it has a credible quality assessment by the book’s editors.)
5. The publication channel is used by a national or international scientific community, with over half (1/2) of the editorial board or authors coming from a different research organisation than the publisher organisation.
6. The publication channel is scientifically relevant in its field for the international or Finnish scientific community, and its procedure for ensuring scientific quality is credible.