The January Scopus update resulted in seven exclusions: five journals were given "Discontinuation" status, and two were given "Journal Change Policy" status.
Among the titles that have been removed are publications on mathematics, medicine, chemistry, electrochemistry, and architecture from various countries. One of the journals—Architecture Image Studies — which was previously analyzed in our column «Candidates for Exclusion from Scopus. Part 12»: the exclusion was predicted well in advance.
Before choosing journals indexed in Scopus, it is important to understand that the Scopus journal database is constantly updated, and the list of Scopus journals changes every month. A journal that is included in the Scopus list today may be removed from it tomorrow.»
The journal we warned about has been officially removed from Scopus
In the «Journals at Risk of Being Removed from Scopus» section, we systematically analyze high-risk journals. This month, Scopus confirmed the removal of a journal we had previously reviewed:
Architecture Image Studies — a detailed analysis in Issue No. 12 of «Candidates for Exclusion»
The journal was indexed in Scopus in 2024, but as early as August 2025, it drastically changed its editorial policy—it began positioning itself as «multidisciplinary» and sending out mass invitations to authors. An analysis revealed the publication of articles that did not fit the journal’s scope and indications of a lack of genuine peer review.
Typical «red flags» that we've identified:
– the publication of articles that do not pertain to the stated topics of architecture and design;
– a sharp shift from a narrowly focused format to a «multidisciplinary» one;
– a lack of high-quality peer review;
– a rapid increase in the number of publications over a short period;
– Mass emails to authors encouraging them to submit articles.
📊Accuracy of the Article Academy's Forecasts
Between 2024 and 2026, 38 of the 44 journals we had flagged in the section «Candidates for Removal from Scopus,» were officially removed from the database—the highest rate among teams monitoring scientific publications.
Official List of Excluded Journals (January 2026)
Below is a list of all the journals that were removed from Scopus in the January update. This means that new articles published in these journals are no longer indexed in the database.
E-ISSN: 2184-8645 |
Publisher: AP2 (Portugal) |
Cause: Journal Change Policy |
Scopus: Open in Scopus | The magazine's website: journals.ap2.pt |
⚠️ This journal was analyzed in our Issue No. 12 «Candidates for Removal from Scopus» — the removal was predicted. |
📋 Journal Profile |
Quartile: Q4 Country: Portugal Subject: architecture, design Accepted by Scopus: 2024 Publication cost: starting at 250 EUR |
🚨 Major Violations |
— Publication of articles not related to architecture or design (non-compliance with the stated subject matter) — a sudden transition to a «multidisciplinary» format starting in August 2025 — lack of high-quality peer review — a rapid increase in the number of publications over a short period of time — mass emails to authors encouraging them to submit articles |
ISSN (print edition): 2705-1064
E-ISSN (online): 2705-1056
Publisher: Universal Wiser Publisher
Reason: Discontinuation (indexing discontinued)
Scopus link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100830161
ISSN (print edition): 2224-0713
E-ISSN (online): 2307-1419
Publisher: Zaslavsky Publishing House
Reason: Discontinuation (indexing discontinued)
Scopus link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101212706
ISSN (print edition): 2981-0221
E-ISSN (online): 2981-0213
Publisher: Sami Publishing Company
Reason: Discontinuation (indexing discontinued)
Scopus link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101176855
ISSN: 1480-2422
Publisher: International Information and Engineering Technology Association
Reason: Journal change policy
Scopus link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/25198
E-ISSN (online): 3049-9011
Publisher: Premier Science
Reason: Discontinuation (indexing discontinued)
Scopus link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101293002
E-ISSN: 1932-2321
Publisher: Gnedenko Forum
Reason: Discontinuation (indexing discontinued)
Scopus link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100967049
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Conclusion
The January Scopus update has once again confirmed: indexing is not a permanent characteristic of a journal, but rather a dynamic indicator that can change at any time.
The seven journals removed this month represent different countries, subject areas, and reasons for exclusion. It’s not just «gray» publications that are being targeted—even those that have been considered stable for years are being dropped. The current list of journals included in Scopus is not a static document: journals indexed in Scopus today may lose that status as early as the next update.
For Kazakhstani authors, any deindexing means: a publication not being counted toward performance reviews or the conferral of an academic title, risks during the dissertation defense, problems with grant applications under programs of the Ministry of Education and Science and the National Academy of Sciences, as well as the loss of months of work and additional expenses for a new publication.
Under these circumstances, choosing a journal on your own is increasingly becoming a gamble in which the cost of making a mistake is too high.
Our monitoring data confirms this: between 2024 and 2026, 38 of the 44 journals that we identified as high-risk in the «Candidates for Removal from Scopus» category were officially removed from the database. This is the highest rate among teams monitoring scientific publications.
The January update demonstrates once again that, in today's academic environment, the authors who succeed are those who rely not on assumptions or luck, but on clear data and systematic monitoring.
For the scientific community in Kazakhstan, which is currently integrating into the international scientific community amid strict requirements for the quality of publications, the reliability of indexing is not a mere formality but a strategic necessity.
