Preparing a scientific article for publication in a Scopus-indexed journal involves several consecutive stages – from selecting the journal to the official indexing of the finished work. Each of these stages takes time, and the overall process often stretches across several months.
How long does it take to publish an article in a Scopus journal?
Submitting the manuscript to the editorial board is only the initial stage of a multi-step process. Once the article is received, the editorial team sends it for peer review, the length of which depends on the journal's specialisation, the editors' workload and the availability of reviewers in the relevant field. If the manuscript needs revision based on reviewers' comments, the timeline is extended by one or more further rounds of amendments.
Peer review rarely takes just one month
A number of factors affect how long a manuscript is under review:
- the difficulty of finding reviewers for a highly specialised topic
- a queue for publication in popular journals within a given field
- the frequency of issues released by the specific journal
- the number of revision rounds required after reviewers' comments
Even under favourable circumstances, the full cycle from manuscript submission to publication takes no less than several months.
Why does indexing in Scopus not coincide with the publication date?
The official publication date is considered to be the moment the article appears on the journal's website, although this does not mean it is immediately reflected in the Scopus database. Indexing usually takes at least four weeks, and in practice this period can extend to several months. It is the indexing date, rather than the date the article appears on the journal's website, that usually matters when confirming research results for attestation purposes.
An autumn start increases workload and waiting times
The start of the academic year brings an increase in teaching and administrative workload for lecturers and doctoral candidates, leaving less time for preparing a manuscript. After the summer break, many scholars return to their publications at the same time and submit articles to the same journals, which creates an additional review queue at some publications. Towards the end of the calendar year, a number of editorial boards are also finalising their annual volumes, and an article submitted in late autumn risks being pushed into the following volume, which delays its indexing date as well.
How to calculate the time needed to meet a deadline?
To avoid postponing a dissertation defence or an academic progress report due to a missing publication, the process is best planned well in advance:
- Determine the final deadline by which an indexed publication is required and allow at least eight to twelve months for the entire preparation cycle.
- Select a journal whose subject matter matches the research area and check its current status in the Scopus database.
- Prepare the manuscript in accordance with the requirements of the chosen journal, including translation and an originality check.
- Submit the article to the editorial board in advance, rather than waiting for the start of the new academic year and the increased workload that comes with it.
This kind of planning makes it possible to account for likely delays at every stage and to approach a defence or a report with a publication that has already been confirmed.
Preparing an article for a Scopus-indexed journal is a process that unfolds over time and depends on factors that a scholar cannot always control directly. If a publication is needed by a specific deadline, planning is best started well in advance, rather than waiting for autumn, when workload and the queue for reviewing articles both increase.
Need help with publishing a scientific article in a Scopus-indexed journal? The specialists at Scientific Publications will help you choose a suitable journal, check that your manuscript meets its requirements, and support you through every stage of peer review right up to official indexing. To receive a free consultation, please fill in the form below, and our manager will contact you shortly. Onwards to new scientific achievements!
