Hello, dear colleagues!
This is Vasily Malets — director of the «Academy of Articles» and author of the analytical column «Journals That May Lose Their Scopus Indexing».
Today marks the second issue of 2026, and it turned out to be particularly noteworthy. Our list this time includes four journals—and two of them are Q1 journals.
This is exactly what I want to emphasize separately: A Q1 rating is no longer a guarantee of safe publication. And today’s analysis clearly confirms this.
In this episode, we'll take a look at:
- 1 Q3 magazine that has become a veritable publishing machine — 16 issues in just a few months instead of 4 per year;
- 1 new journal in Scopus, which, immediately after being included in the database, began sending out invitations en masse for «fast publication of any articles»;
- 2 Q1 journals—because, unfortunately, the high quartile does not protect against predatory practices, and today we’ll demonstrate this with specific examples.
Unfortunately, all the publications on today’s list represent not isolated errors but entrenched practices: mass publications without proper peer review, disregard for academic standards, and a focus not on science but on quick profits.
It is precisely these types of magazines that most often lead to:
- wasted time and money for the authors;
- problems with the recognition of articles by the Committee on Science, Education, and Culture of the Ministry of National Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
- the risk of the journal being removed from Scopus in the near future.
In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at each journal, explain exactly which «red flags» authors need to watch out for, and why publishing in such journals in 2026 is a high-stakes gamble.
List of applicants
ISSN: 1941-5524
🔗 Link to Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101033328
🔗 Magazine website: https://journalofdaoiststudies.org
🔗 SCImago: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=20500195212&tip=sid
Review:
The journal has been in publication since 2008 and, until 2026, was a niche academic publication with a strict focus on Daoism: one volume per year, 14–16 articles, all exclusively on Daoist philosophy, history, and practice. The publisher is the University of Hawaii Press.
In 2026, something clearly went wrong. In the first 7 months, the magazine had already published 12 (!) rooms — 9 of which are designated as «special» (S1–S9). These special issues cover just about anything: orthodontics, cybersecurity, Indonesia’s carbon tax, banking analysis of Iraq, automotive springs, and dental case reports. The connection to Daoism is purely cosmetic: some authors add the word «Dao» to the title of an article that has absolutely nothing to do with Daoism.
It is telling that: The submission date and publication date for special issues are the same—there is effectively no peer review.
At the time of this analysis, the articles from the special issues had not yet been indexed in Scopus, and the journal appears to already be under review by the CSAB.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Q3;
- Country: U.S.;
- Subject: Taoist philosophy, history, religion;
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 1,800 USD.
Main violations:
- 9 special issues over 7 months instead of 1 volume per year;
- Articles from special issues are not related to Aims & Scope;
- zero review time—the submission date is the same as the publication date;
- The word «Dao» in the article’s title is used as a formal justification for publishing any material.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: 100% .
- The probability that articles that have already been indexed will be deindexed: 100% .
ISSN: 2150-7988
🔗 Link to Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101017598
🔗 Magazine website: https://cspub-ijcisim.org
Review:
The journal has been in publication since 2004 and was published by Machine Intelligence Research Labs until 2024. Its focus is on computer information systems and industrial management applications. It has a strong academic reputation and a consistent publication schedule: one volume per year.
Everything changed in 2024, when the magazine switched to a new publisher— Cerebration Science Publishing Co., Limited (Hong Kong). That alone should have raised some red flags.
In 2025, the journal published one volume, but it already contained more than 100 articles—and among them, there was a sharp increase in the number of Chinese articles on pedagogy, where the connection to information systems is limited to the words «big data» or «AI» in the title. Research on dance, music education, physical education, and party-ideological education in universities no longer falls under the category of “computer information systems,” no matter how the authors phrase the title.
In 2026, the special editions will be fully rolled out: in just 7 months, already 10 rooms (2 regular issues + 8 special issues—ranging from 1s to 8s). Special issues regularly feature articles on government procurement in Kyrgyzstan, geopolitical shocks in the Indian stock market, coffee production in Southeast Asia, and concrete structures reinforced with rubber. The connection to computer information systems is either formal or nonexistent.
At the time of this analysis, articles from the special issues have not yet been indexed in Scopus, and the journal may already be under review by the CSAB.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Q3;
- Country: Hong Kong (new publisher starting in 2024);
- Subject: computer information systems, industrial management;
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 1,500 USD.
Main violations:
- A change in publisher in 2024 — immediate launch of a mass-market publishing model;
- 8 special issues over the first 7 months of 2026;
- Articles in special issues go beyond the scope of "Aims & Scope";
- The 2025 regular volume features a flood of Chinese educational articles with a formal connection to AI.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: 100% .
- The probability that articles that have already been indexed will be deindexed: 100% .
ISSN: 1981-6472
🔗 Link to Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100790313
🔗 Magazine website: https://ojs.interpersonajournal.com/index.php/ojs/index
🔗 SCImago: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100790313&tip=sid
Overview: It’s already Q1—and this is an important point to pause on. Because Q1 doesn’t automatically mean «safe.» This case is one of the best examples of how this works.
The journal has long been established as an academic journal on interpersonal relationships. But it recently changed publishers—it moved to the Brazilian organization GATE—and that’s when strange things started happening.
The journal’s scope is both brilliantly and suspiciously worded 😄 — «about human relationships in any sphere of life». This allows them to cover psychology, business, law, biology—and, in fact, just about anything. In practice, the journal is already sending out invitations offering expedited publication for a fee, bypassing the peer-review process.
We've already discussed a similar case—the journal Journal of Cultural Analysis (Contenders No. 12). It’s exactly the same situation.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Q1 (Cultural Studies)
- Country: Brazil (new publisher starting in 2025)
- Subject: interpersonal relationships
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 2,000 USD
Main violations:
- change of publisher → a radical change in editorial policy;
- scope — a rubber band that can be used for just about anything;
- There are already articles that don't have a clear interpersonal focus;
- Fast publication for a fee, without peer review.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: high
- Probability of article deindexing: High — Q1 masks problematic editorial practices
⚠️ Key takeaway for authors: This is a classic example of a journal that is still technically in Q1, but based on behavioral and editorial indicators, is already in the critical-risk zone. Publishing here in 2026 would be a serious gamble with one’s own scientific reputation.
ISSN: 2231-6094
🔗 Link to Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101180700
🔗 Magazine website: https://ojs.trp.org.in/index.php/ijiss/index
🔗 SCImago: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21101180700&tip=sid
Review: Another Q1—and another alarming case. Because the violations here are particularly widespread.
The journal states that it focuses on library and information science (LIS). It has been indexed in Scopus since 2023. But if you look at the actual content, the picture is quite different.
The journal’s issues feature articles on tourism and the hospitality industry, marketing and finance (CAPM, crowdfunding), HR and personnel management, law (constitutional courts, Qisas), medicine (AI in cardiology), psychology and sociology, agriculture, and even blockchain in the fashion industry. And this isn’t just two or three outliers. It’s widespread. More than 50% articles fall outside the core LIS scope.
Main conclusion: The journal «serves as an LIS—it operates as a multidisciplinary factory.» This is a classic case study: what a journal looks like when faced with issues related to Scopus.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Q1 (Library and Information Sciences)
- Country: India
- Subject: Librarianship, Information Systems
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 1,250 USD
Main violations:
- 50%+ articles outside the core LIS;
- very diverse content with no clear focus;
- a steady increase in the number of articles;
- a large number of articles in a single issue;
- a lack of disciplinary logic.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: 90%
- The probability that articles that have already been indexed will be deindexed: 30–50%
If you're planning to submit an article to Scopus or Web of Science and aren't sure which journal to choose
The best solution is to check it BEFORE submitting it.
«Article Academy» will review your journal for free: we analyze indexing history, publication trends, compliance with Aims & Scope, and risks of de-indexing.
This helps avoid wasting time and money, as well as problems with the recognition of publications by the Committee for Science, Education, and Innovation of the Ministry of National Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the future.
Conclusions
In this issue, we looked at four journals from different quartiles—ranging from a beginner with no quartile to Q1. And this diversity is no accident. It reaffirms a simple truth:
Neither the quartile nor inclusion in Scopus alone guarantees a safe publication.
Even highly ranked journals can, at some point, stray from the academic path and begin operating solely for the sake of quick profits. This is exactly what is happening right now with Interpersona and IJISS—both are Q1 journals, and both are already showing signs that Scopus will notice sooner or later.
Most often, authors who fall into this trap are those who need to get published quickly and who fail to analyze the journal’s track record, publication volume, and alignment with its Aims & Scope. In most cases, the result is the same—wasted money and time, as well as problems getting the articles recognized by the Committee for the Evaluation of Scientific and Educational Activities (KOKSNVO) of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
That is precisely why, before submitting an article, it is important not to rush and to always thoroughly review the journal—or consult with experts who work with publications on a daily basis and understand the real risks. A quick decision almost always ends up costing more than a thoughtful and well-researched approach.
