Elsevier Workshop on Journal indexing in Scopus
On Jan 21, 2021 03:00 PM Elsevier in collaboration with Higher Education Commission of Pakistan organized a workshop on “Journal indexing in Scopus”. The workshop was directed toward enhancing the knowledge of the Journal Editors, reviewers and wider research community on: (i) Power of Scopus, Pre-requisites and Process of Journal Indexation (ii) Di erent Journal Impact Measures and Bene ts after Scopus Indexing (iii) Predatory Publishing and Scopus Content Curation In the workshop we received many questions from the participants. We compiled all the questions and now would like to share the question bank with the answers from our experts.
Sl No Question Answer 1 Where should one apply for journal Please go to https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/scopus/how-scopus-works/content/ indexation in Scopus? content-policy-and-selection to familiarize yourself with the selection criteria and procedures. From there you can submit your title by lling our online form at https://suggestor.step.scopus.com/suggestTitle/step1.cfm.
2 What is the general time-frame for The median time for title submission till decision is 6 months, while it may vary title by Journal selection post submission? title. Scopus team is aiming at shortening the turn around time to 3-4 months. After acceptance permissions needs to be cleared and the journal need to be setup in the approriate production systems. This generaly takes 3 to 5 months.
3 Are there any charges to apply for No. The title evaluation and the indexing after acceptance are free of charge. scopus indexing?
4 Criteria for Scopus Indexation Scopus content policy and selection crtieria can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/ solutions/scopus/how-scopus-works/content/content-policy-and-selection.
5 Are there any recommended Indexing in other databases will help to get more visibility of the journal and therefore indexing databases that a journal become more relevant for Scopus indexing. These can be global, regional, or subject should be indexed in to have better speci c databases. Which ones are most relevant depends on the scope of the journal acceptance rate in Scopus and the community it serves. Please check Scopus content policy and selection criteria indexation? point by point before submitting your title proposal. If you have queries about speci c criteria, our FAQs (https://embed.widencdn.net/download/elsevier/olbvgdobzi/SC_ FAQ-content-selection-process_Jan2019.pdf?u=simrzc) may be of further help. You may also pre-check your readiness by checking https://www.readyforscopus.com/.
6 Post rejection by CSAB, after how In the "Decision Letter" which will be circulated to publisher contact and the proposal much time can the journal re-apply suggestors, you can nd the speci c "re-apply after" date after when you can apply for for Evaluation / indexation? next evaluation. The embargo period can be 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years up to 5 years.
7 Is there any minimum number of There is no strict requirement on mininum number of papers published per year as papers per year for journal to publish journals are di erent in di erent subjects. for indexation in Scopus? 8 How long a particular journal remain After a serial title is accepted for indexing and the indexing procedure is successfully in the scopus list? established, it will become actively indexed in Scopus. It will remain active until the journal stops publishing or otherwise discontinued after re-evaluation. The re-evaluation process is ongoing and any journal can be subject to re-evaluation at any moment in time.
9 Does Scopus do a regular curation of Yes. Scopus curates its content on continous basis following an established procedure. quality? If yes, how many times a year For more information, please see https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/scopus/ and during which months? how-scopus-works/content/content-policy-and-selection, Title Re-evaluation.
10 A journal should have two year Scopus indexation is not the only thing that will attract good researchers. To build up a publishing history before being good reputation for a journal takes time. If a journal publishes good quality research, it included in Scopus. However, top will get more visbility and gain attention from good authors in that research researchers are not interested to get community. Also good Editors will attract high quality authors and research. their work published in a non-scopus journal. In such a scenario, how does a journal strive to be a good candidate to be acceptable by CSAB?
11 You can track the progress of the evaluation process by entering the unique Tracking ID Where can one check the status of provided at the time of submission into the Title Evaluation Tracker, our application? http://suggestor.step.scopus.com/progressTracker. 12 There are various types of peer review for research journals. Both single blind or double Can we have information that blind peer review are accepted review type for Scopus indexing. For more information SCOPUS consider double blind peer on peer review, please check https://www.elsevier.com/reviewers/what-is-peer-review. review journals or single blind peer review? Or any other category that Scopus particularly ask from the journals? 13 Please check Scopus content policy and selection criteria What kind of ethical statements (https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/scopus/how-scopus-works/content/content-policy should be visible on journal website? -and-selection), Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statements section. 14 Citations are considered during title The journal is under review for Scopus coverage and therefore the journal standing evaluation. Where does the CSAB see criteria starts with journal citations from journals already indexed in Scopus. Via the the citation data from? Is there any Scondary Documents in Scopus one can search for citations that include the name of preferred source/platform? the journal subject to review. This citedness score gives an indication of the citation impact the journal could have once it is indexed. What if a journal has been regular but 15 due to covid, latest issues are We recommend you to self-evaluate your journal operation/publishing status before delayed. Will the Journal still be submitting for evaluation. We may allow accidental delays as long as it is not structural eligible for Indexation on Scopus? or excessive.
WOS has ESCI indexing for new 16 journals. Does Scopus has any Scopus has no seperate database for new journals. All selected journals are in the same module for indexing new journals? database available to all customers. Scopus recommend a journal to have a fair amount of peer review type publications (at least 20 papers or publish minimum 2 years) before submitting for evaluation. For journals having less than 3 years of publishing history, the If a journal has recently migrated indexing will start from Volume 1, Issue 1. from print to online, is necessary to 17 make old issues online also? The publication format is not a criterion for Scopus coverage. As long as the journal has an online presence and sample documents are provided if the documents are not In case of Open access Journals, is it openly available online. necessary to have DOAJ indexation 18 for(before?) Scopus Indexation No. Other database indexing is not mandatory for Scopus indexing.
Do the COPE membership/indexing and/or Capbell white list indexing is taken as a sign of non predatory 19 journal and thereby increase the Scopus title evaluation decision is based on a set of criteria. For publishing ethics journal's chances of being indexed in statement requirements, we do require journals to follow "Principles of Transparancy & Scopus? Best Practie in Scholarly Publishing" jointly estabished by COPE, DOAJ, CASPA and WAME. Membership or indexation by these organizations is recommended but not If Journal get discontinued from mandatory. scopus, what happens to the status of the previously indexed issues? Are they also removed? 20 Content covered in Scopus prior to the re-evaluation completion will remain in Scopus. Among all Journal metrics In exceptional cases of proven severe unethical publication practice, content already available(IF, Citescore, SNIP, SJR etc), indexed in Scopus may be removed. which one should be considered? 21 There are many di erent metrics used to measure the in uence of your articles and the journals in which they are published. We recommend responsible use of metrics using two golden rules: 1. Always use both qualitative and quantitative input into your Where can I read more about Journal decisions and 2 always use more than one research metric as the quantitative input. metrics? Understanding their de nitions, uses and limitations will help you make decisions con dently. Each journal metrics has its own approach and measures di erent things, which journal metric(s) to chose depends on the research questions to answer. 22 For more information on journal and article level metrics, please see https://www.elsevier.com/editors/journal-and-article-metrics Sl No Question Answer 11 Where can one check the status of You can track the progress of the evaluation process by entering the unique Tracking ID our application? provided at the time of submission into the Title Evaluation Tracker, http://suggestor.step.scopus.com/progressTracker.
12 Can we have information that There are various types of peer review for research journals. Both single blind or double SCOPUS consider double blind peer blind peer review are accepted review type for Scopus indexing. For more information review journals or single blind peer on peer review, please check https://www.elsevier.com/reviewers/what-is-peer-review. review? Or any other category that Scopus particularly ask from the journals?
13 What kind of ethical statements Please check Scopus content policy and selection criteria should be visible on journal website? (https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/scopus/how-scopus-works/content/content-policy -and-selection), Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statements section. 14 Citations are considered during title The journal is under review for Scopus coverage and therefore the journal standing evaluation. Where does the CSAB see criteria starts with journal citations from journals already indexed in Scopus. Via the the citation data from? Is there any Scondary Documents in Scopus one can search for citations that include the name of preferred source/platform? the journal subject to review. This citedness score gives an indication of the citation impact the journal could have once it is indexed. 15 What if a journal has been regular but We recommend you to self-evaluate your journal operation/publishing status before due to covid, latest issues are submitting for evaluation. We may allow accidental delays as long as it is not structural delayed. Will the Journal still be or excessive. eligible for Indexation on Scopus? 16 WOS has ESCI indexing for new Scopus has no seperate database for new journals. All selected journals are in the same journals. Does Scopus has any database available to all customers. Scopus recommend a journal to have a fair amount module for indexing new journals? of peer review type publications (at least 20 papers or publish minimum 2 years) before submitting for evaluation. For journals having less than 3 years of publishing history, the indexing will start from Volume 1, Issue 1.
17 If a journal has recently migrated The publication format is not a criterion for Scopus coverage. As long as the journal has from print to online, is necessary to an online presence and sample documents are provided if the documents are not make old issues online also? openly available online.
18 In case of Open access Journals, is it No. Other database indexing is not mandatory for Scopus indexing. necessary to have DOAJ indexation for(before?) Scopus Indexation
19 Do the COPE membership/indexing Scopus title evaluation decision is based on a set of criteria. For publishing ethics and/or Capbell white list indexing is statement requirements, we do require journals to follow "Principles of Transparancy & taken as a sign of non predatory Best Practie in Scholarly Publishing" jointly estabished by COPE, DOAJ, CASPA and journal and thereby increase the WAME. Membership or indexation by these organizations is recommended but not journal's chances of being indexed in mandatory. Scopus? 20 If Journal get discontinued from Content covered in Scopus prior to the re-evaluation completion will remain in Scopus. scopus, what happens to the status of In exceptional cases of proven severe unethical publication practice, content already the previously indexed issues? Are indexed in Scopus may be removed. they also removed?
21 Among all Journal metrics There are many di erent metrics used to measure the in uence of your articles and the available(IF, Citescore, SNIP, SJR etc), journals in which they are published. We recommend responsible use of metrics using which one should be considered? two golden rules: 1. Always use both qualitative and quantitative input into your decisions and 2 always use more than one research metric as the quantitative input. Understanding their de nitions, uses and limitations will help you make decisions con dently. Each journal metrics has its own approach and measures di erent things, which journal metric(s) to chose depends on the research questions to answer.
22 Where can I read more about Journal For more information on journal and article level metrics, please see metrics? https://www.elsevier.com/editors/journal-and-article-metrics
If you have any more questions related to the webinar or the product, please get in touch with
Tahseen Khanday Javed Ishaq Solution Sales Manager Director Elsevier, Research Management A&J DEF TEK CONSULTANTS E: [email protected] E: [email protected]