The February Scopus update—and once again, seven journals have been removed from the database.
What stands out this time: six out of seven were excluded due to “Discontinuation”—the publications simply ceased to exist. No high-profile scandals, no lengthy CSAB investigations, no public warnings. They were operating—and then they disappeared.
It is precisely these exceptions that are most dangerous for authors. A journal with a “Journal Change Policy” usually ends up on people’s radar—it’s discussed, and warnings are issued about it. Discontinuation, on the other hand, often happens quietly: just yesterday the journal was accepting articles, today it’s no longer in the database, and the author only finds out about it after submitting.
Among the journals excluded this month are those in the fields of economics, education, mathematics, mining, and perinatal medicine. For doctoral students and researchers in Kazakhstan working under the requirements of the Committee on Science, Higher Education, and Vocational Education of the Ministry of National Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, this is a clear warning: choosing a journal without verifying its credentials is a risk that could cost you your dissertation defense.
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 publications. This month, Scopus confirmed the removal of one of the journals we had previously analyzed in detail:
Educational Process: International Journal — analysis in Issue No. 9, «Candidates for Removal from Scopus»
A Q2 education journal with a percentile of 70+ that was indexed in Scopus in 2021. Until 2025, it published high-quality content and strictly adhered to peer-review requirements—it had every chance of advancing to Q1. But starting in January 2025, it abruptly changed course: it began sending out invitations en masse to authors, promising to publish their articles within 1–2 months. The journal was actively promoted to Kazakhstani researchers as a «quick Q2» option—and attracted more than 25 authors from Kazakhstan.
The main violations we documented were:
- 📌 Increase in posts: 3 times more than in 2024;
- 📌 Reduction of publication timeframes: from 6 months to 1–2;
- 📌 Decrease in quality: superficial articles of 5-6 pages;
- 📌 Mass emails to authors inviting them to submit their work.
At the time of our analysis, the journal was still being actively indexed. We noted that the probability of its removal from Scopus was 100%. The February update confirmed this.
📊 84% forecast accuracy For 2024–2025, 37 of the 44 journals we warned about in the section «Candidates for Removal from Scopus,» were officially removed from the database—this is the highest rate among teams monitoring scientific publications.
Official List of Excluded Journals (February 2026)
- ISSN: 2147-0901
- E-ISSN: 2564-8020
- Publisher: Universitepark
- Cause: Discontinuation
- Scopus link: Go to Scopus
- Magazine website: edupij.com
ℹ️ This journal was analyzed in our Issue No. 9, «Candidates for Removal from Scopus»—its exclusion was predicted.
Magazine profile Percentile: 70+ (Q2) | Subject area: education | Accepted by Scopus: 2021 | Publication fee: 1,100 EUR
Main violations: — a threefold increase in the number of publications
— reducing the timeframe from 6 months to 1–2
— decline in quality: superficial texts of 5–6 pages each
— mass mailings to authors
— actively promoting it as «Fast Q2» among Kazakhstani scientists
- ISSN: 2306-4994
- E-ISSN: 2310-8770
- Publisher: Fintech Alliance LLC
- Cause: Discontinuation
- Scopus link: Go to Scopus
- E-ISSN: 2309-4508
- Publisher: Science Publishing Corporation, Inc.
- Cause: Discontinuation
- Scopus link: Go to Scopus
- E-ISSN: 2146-4553
- Publisher: Econjournals
- Cause: Discontinuation
- Scopus link: Go to Scopus
- ISSN: 2008-949X
- Publisher: International Scientific Research Publications
- Cause: Discontinuation
- Scopus link: Go to Scopus
- ISSN: 0022-2755
- Publisher: Informatics Publishing Limited
- Cause: Discontinuation
- Scopus link: Go to Scopus
- E-ISSN: 1305-3124
- Publisher: Perinatal Medicine Foundation
- Cause: Journal Change Policy
- Scopus link: Go to Scopus
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Conclusions
The February Scopus update is yet another confirmation that a journal’s indexing status is not a permanent feature.
Six journals have been discontinued, and one has changed its editorial policy to such an extent that Scopus can no longer confirm its compliance with its standards.
For scientists in Kazakhstan working under the requirements of the Committee on Science, Education, and Innovation of the Ministry of National Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, this has specific implications:
- An article accepted by a journal that has been delisted will not be counted by the committee for the purpose of a PhD defense or the conferral of a degree;
- A post with a percentile below the threshold will not meet the requirements for 35+ / 50+;
- It is extremely difficult to make up for lost time before the defense deadline.
The situation regarding *Educational Process: International Journal* deserves special attention. More than 25 authors from Kazakhstan have been published in this journal since January 2025—a period when the editorial policy had already been violated. The fate of their publications is now in question.
In the academic world of 2026, the researchers who succeed are those who make data-driven decisions. If you’re planning to publish in Scopus this year, check the journal in advance. It takes 60 seconds and could save you years of work.
