In November 2025, Scopus updated the list of scientific journals that lost their indexing. In today's article, we have prepared a complete list of publications that lost their indexing, and you will also find out what caused their exclusion.
Reasons for the exclusion of journals from Scopus
The inclusion of a journal in the Scopus database is a complex and lengthy process that requires strict compliance with requirements and rules. Every month, Scopus analyses indexed publications to determine how well they meet the established requirements. A journal may be excluded from the database for the following reasons:
- Unethical practices. The publication is engaged in illegal activities. For example, it offers fast paid publication or pretends to be an authoritative journal, misleading the scientific community.
- Violation of ethical standards. Failure to comply with the principles of academic integrity and scientific ethics.
- Low quality of publications. Publication of low-quality articles that do not meet scientific standards.
- Outdated content. Publication of materials that have lost their scientific significance.
- Suspicious changes in metrics. A sharp increase in scientometrics indicators that raises doubts.
- Deviation from the subject area. A change in scientific direction that does not correspond to the defined field of the journal.
List of journals excluded from Scopus in November 2025
| № | Scientific journal | ISSN / e-ISSN | Reasons for exclusion |
| 1 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | e-ISSN – 1165158X | Publication Concerns |
| 2 | European Public and Social Innovation Review | e-ISSN – 25299824 | Outlier behaviour |
| 3 | Forum for Linguistic Studies | ISSN – 27050610 e-ISSN – 27050602 |
Publication Concerns |
| 4 | Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources | e-ISSN – 25816853 | Publication Concerns |
| 5 | International Journal of Applied Mathematics | ISSN – 13111728 e-ISSN – 13148060 |
Publication Concerns |
| 6 | International Journal of Engineering, Science and Information Technology | e-ISSN – 27752674 | Publication Concerns |
| 7 | Journal of Machine and Computing | ISSN – 27891801 e-ISSN – 27887669 |
Outlier behaviour |
| 8 | TPM - Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology | ISSN – 19726325 | Scopus ID: 21100228948 |
How are journals tracked in Scopus?
Scopus uses a comprehensive analysis of journals using the Radar tool developed by Elsevier. This system monitors changes in scientometrics indicators and records any violations. Journals may be excluded from the database for the following reasons:
- artificial increase in the number of citations
- publication of works that have not been peer-reviewed
- significant deviation from the originally defined scientific subject area
- lack of a peer review system
- violation of publication ethics principles
- low quality or insufficient number of articles
Exclusion may be caused by so-called “Publication Concerns” – problems related to the journal's activities that undermine its reputation. These include unscrupulous methods, data falsification, or the publication of materials that do not meet scientific requirements.
In addition, the reason for de-indexing may also be “Outlier behaviour”, which means that the journal was excluded due to abnormal or suspicious publishing activity. This can manifest itself in artificially inflated citations, an excessive number of publications by the same authors, violations of editorial ethics, etc.
If the information about the reasons for the removal of indexing indicates a Scopus ID, this may indicate that the journal has violated the principles of publication ethics and has not complied with the principles of publication quality. It also means that the journal's entry has been removed from Scopus and the publication is no longer indexed in this database.
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