Journals that will soon lose indexing in Scopus part 10
Introduction
Hello, dear colleagues!
This is Vasily Malets, Director of the Academy of Articles and author of the column “Journals that will soon lose indexing in Scopus”.
Today we have prepared the second issue of our column for 2025.
At the moment already 22 of 27 magazines, which we wrote about earlier, officially excluded from Scopus.
This time, our list includes journals that have already reached the peak of their activity and are on the verge of exclusion, as well as those that are just starting to gain momentum and look quite harmless. Today, we will tell you about each of them. The list also includes publications from the first quartile - those that, according to some authors, allegedly cannot be de-indexed.
As a reminder, we have a table of candidates where you can find all the journals I wrote about earlier and their current status.
You can view the table here:
List of applicants:
(link to the magazine website: here👈)
This journal, which specializes in neonatal surgery, was included in Scopus in 2021 due to its narrow profile and high-quality publications in the relevant field.
However, it has now become a multidisciplinary publication “for everyone and about everything.” Until 2025, the magazine published only one modest issue per year, but already in 2025, 36 issues. Incredible. This is a classic scheme for mass earnings on Scopus status.
Magazine characteristics:
Quartile: Q4 (in direction Surgery).
Country: Pakistan.
Publication fee: $700 (standard price), $1000 for authors from Saudi Arabia, $1500 for China. Strange and unfounded segmentation by countries.
Main violations:
Publishing articles on any topic without proper peer review.
More than 36 issues in 6 months.
More than 1000 articles in a short period.
Probability of exclusion from Scopus: 100%.
Probability of article deindexing: 100%, since the content of the publications does not fully correspond to the profile of the publication.
(link to the magazine website: here👈)
The journal, accepted into Scopus in 2024, initially met all the standards: it conducted peer review, rejected weak papers, and published only high-quality materials.
But just a few weeks ago, the situation changed dramatically. The publication began sending out typical letters inviting articles across the board. The promised peer review — 5-7 days, and publication on the site is almost instantaneous.
The scope on the official website was also changed: now it is indicated that the journal accepts papers on any topic. After that, articles that were clearly accepted without any review began to be uploaded en masse. It is quite possible that you have already received such letters.
My sincere advice - don't give in to this temptation.
Magazine characteristics:
Quartile: Q3 (in direction Law).
Country: USA (although in fact Indian teams often work).
Cost of publication: $780 (at the time of writing).
Main violations:
Publication of articles that are not related to jurisprudence or are only partially related to it.
A sharp increase in the volume of publications is expected in the near future.
Lack of peer review as a stage of the publication process.
Probability of exclusion from Scopus: 100%.
Probability of article deindexing: 100%, since the journal already violates the main requirement of Scopus - compliance with the subject profile.
(link to the magazine website: here👈)
This publication was in the first quartile (Q1), and some authors believe that journals with such a rating allegedly cannot be excluded from Scopus. But this is myth.
Unfortunately, this journal has already published more than 90 Kazakh scientists, and all their articles have already been de-indexed. Some have never been indexed and never will be.
The journal has already been excluded from the Scopus database, and the articles have been de-indexed, but until the June/May Scopus update, the publication may still be displayed as active. That is why I am writing about this - so that no one accidentally falls into this trap, because the cost of publication is not small.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the publisher is Transnational Press London Ltd., has previously been involved in scandals, including over the magazine International Journal of Religion, which made a lot of noise last year.
Magazine characteristics:
Quartile: Q1 (Cultural Studies).
Country: Great Britain.
Publication cost: $1200.
Main violations:
Publication of articles that do not correspond to the stated scope.
A sharp increase in the number of releases.
Lack of proper peer review.
Mass publication of articles for profit.
Probability of exclusion from Scopus: 120%. The journal has already been excluded, all articles have been de-indexed.
(link to the magazine website: here👈)
This journal is just beginning its predatory activities and has not yet published many materials, but is already actively sending out proposals to authors. It positions itself as a multidisciplinary publication and promises quick publication for only $600.
However, even from the name it is clear that the journal is focused on natural sciences. The scope clearly states that only articles in the field of natural sciences are published. Meanwhile, the archive has already published more than 170 articles on a variety of topics, many of which have nothing to do with natural sciences.
Magazine characteristics:
Quartile: Q4.
Country: India.
Publication cost: $600.
Main violations:
Publication of articles that do not correspond to the stated scope.
Lack of proper peer review.
Mass publication of articles for profit.
Probability of exclusion from Scopus: 100%.
Probability of article deindexing: 100%, since the journal already violates the main requirement of Scopus - compliance with the subject profile.
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Conclusions
Today we looked at 4 journals that are on the verge of being excluded from Scopus.
One of them is from the first quartile. This proves that even a high quartile does not guarantee safety - such journals can also become predatory.
If you previously thought that Q1 was reliable, unfortunately it is illusion.
Any publication may be excluded from Scopus if it violates editorial policy and quality requirements.
📌 And as always, in conclusion I will say: I understand that the opportunity for quick publication can be very tempting, especially in a first quartile journal.
But it is always important to assess the potential consequences: loss of money, time and reputation.
Carefully analyze journals before submitting an article, check their reputation.
And if you need professional help in choosing a journal or publishing an article - The Academy of Articles will be happy to help!
Sincerely,
Vasily Malets - Director of the Academy of Articles
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