Getting Your Journal Indexed in Scopus: Why, When, and How

Leading scientific research indexer with a sizable readership worldwide, it actively invites new submissions as long as they satisfy certain requirements, of course.

Have you been considering if your journal or journals might work well with Scopus? And the other way around? If yes, continue reading to find out more about the benefits of using Scopus and how to get started with the application process.

Lingaya’s Journal of Professional Studies

Scopus Indexing

Going back to fundamentals, seeking to have your journals added to abstracting and indexing databases is one of the most effective ways to reach additional readers, writers, librarians, educators, and others.

Adding journals to well-known general and discipline indexes increases their academic stature and impact, which can boost their article citation possibilities. Furthermore, many indexes provide citation counts and audience data for the content they cover, making it simpler for journals and authors to track the influence of publications over time.

Scopus, which advertises itself as a “source-neutral abstract and citation database curated by independent subject-matter experts” since its creation in the early 2000s, has been recognized as one of the best research indexes.

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Determining if Scopus is the Best Match for You

As previously stated, there are several benefits to having journals included in the Scopus database. Scopus is well-known for its high degree of academic rigour, which includes an annual journal re-evaluation process as “an incentive for journals to maintain their high content quality.” Scopus also offers a variety of metrics for indexed content, including:

1. Journal-level indicators such as Citescore, which both publishes an annual impact score and provides monthly updates on how things are presently shaping up for each of the indexed titles via the CiteScore Tracker.
2. PlumX is an article-level indicator that analyses how readers are responding to material in the larger online environment (e.g., via tweets, blogs, Wikipedia references, etc.).
3. Author-level measures, like the h-index, try to offer an objective evaluation of the total influence of individual writers’ publishing histories.

• Of course, as Scopus has progressed, it has also received criticism . Examples include:
  Previous concerns about the credibility of Scopus’s journal-level metrics were counterbalanced by Elsevier launching what it described as “a heavyweight rival” to the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in the form of Citescore, a metric that considers all documents citable (including editorials, letters to the editor, corrections, and news items).
• Scopus has addressed these issues throughout time by confirming its commitment to objective research review and validation. Aside from any criticism of Scopus or other indexes, which every publishers must evaluate on their own terms, content accessibility is another essential aspect for those deciding whether to apply to Scopus or maybe prioritise other alternative indexing choices.
• Scopus is often only accessible to scholars who are linked with a subscribing institution or organisation. So, while having information indexed in Scopus will undoubtedly increase its potential readership, it may not necessarily reach a worldwide audience as other alternative high-quality indexes do. For example, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and the Open Citations Index of Crossref open DOI-to-DOI citations (COCI) are two of the most commonly available free research resources.

Role of Ethics Committee in Research Writing

How a Journal Might Apply to be Included in the Scopus Index

The Content Selection and Advisory Board (CSAB) of Scopus oversees a stringent selection procedure. A multinational group of scientists with specialised knowledge in specific fields makes up the CSAB.
Prior to forwarding with the Scopus application procedure, bear in mind that your journal will be evaluated based on many standards, which are divided into five areas, as shown below.

 Journal Policy
 Content
 Journal Standing
 Publishing Regularity
 Online Availability

Next, go to the Scopus submission website for pre-evaluation and complete the form there.The last step is to send in a Title Suggestion form that has been filled out after your application is prepared for submission and review by the CSAB. You’re probably wondering now how long it will take to hear back from Scopus.

Conclusion-
Scopus clearly has a lot to offer publishers wishing to reap the full benefits of having their journals indexed, not the least of which is its reputation for academic rigour and article-level statistic tracking. Without a doubt, information contained in Scopus reaches many of the world’s leading research institutes.

From
Dr. Swapnila Roy
Associate Dean-R & D
Lingaya’s Vidyapeeth
Top University in Faridabad