In September 2026, Scopus removed ten scientific journals from its database. Eight of them received the Journal change policy label, and two received Discontinuation. Scientific Publications has prepared a list of these titles and explained what Scopus's labels mean.
Why do scientific journals lose their Scopus indexing?
Publishing in a Scopus-indexed journal increases the value of a researcher's work when their scientific activity is evaluated. That is why the database regularly checks whether its titles meet the selection criteria.
A journal may lose its indexing for several reasons.
The main ones include:
- reports from the scientific community about violations of publication ethics and research integrity
- unusual patterns in publication activity, citations or author collaborations
- failure to meet the selection criteria, such as weak peer review or a low scientific contribution of the published material
- significant changes to the journal, such as a new title, ISSN, owner or editorial leadership
The final decision is made by Scopus's independent Content Selection and Advisory Board.
List of journals removed from Scopus in September 2026
| № | Journal title | ISSN / eISSN | Reason for exclusion |
| 1 | Advanced Electromagnetics | eISSN: 21190275 | Journal change policy |
| 2 | East European Journal of Physics | 23124334 / 23124539 | Discontinuation |
| 3 | Eurasian Journal of Business and Economics | 16945948 / 16945972 | Journal change policy |
| 4 | European Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry | 09657452 / 23968893 | Journal change policy |
| 5 | International Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning | eISSN: 27892557 | Journal change policy |
| 6 | Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour | 20508824 / 20508832 | Journal change policy |
| 7 | Multinational Finance Journal | ISSN: 10961879 | Journal change policy |
| 8 | Pakistan Journal of Botany | 05563321 / 20703368 | Discontinuation |
| 9 | Revue de l'Organisation Responsable | 19510187 / 21053022 | Journal change policy |
| 10 | Sport TK | 22544070 / 23408812 | Journal change policy |
Main reasons journals were removed from Scopus in September 2026
The vast majority of titles, eight out of ten, received the Journal change policy label. It relates to Scopus's policy on changes to a journal, such as a new title, ISSN, owner or editorial leadership.
After such changes, Scopus does not guarantee that a journal will keep its indexing and decides the matter following an additional review.
Two more journals – East European Journal of Physics and Pakistan Journal of Botany – were removed with the Discontinuation label. Scopus's list does not specify a particular reason for them. All that is known is that coverage of these titles in the database stops.
What does a journal's removal from Scopus mean for authors?
Along with the removal, Scopus records the journal's final coverage – the last issue that was indexed. Material that has already entered the database generally stays there.
Articles published later are no longer indexed in Scopus. As a result, a new publication in such a journal will not give a researcher indexing in this database.
How can you check a journal in Scopus before submitting an article?
To reduce the risk, it is worth checking a journal's status before submitting a manuscript:
- Download the current Scopus source list file from the Elsevier website.
- Find the journal by title or ISSN.
- Check its Active or Inactive status and coverage years.
- Cross-check the title against the Discontinued Titles sheet in the same file.
The list of removed journals is updated monthly, so it is best to check a journal's status right before submitting an article.
Follow our blog and the social media of Scientific Publications – we regularly publish updated lists of removed journals and analyze current trends in scientometrics.
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