Information and indexing system (database)Scopus is one of the most acknowledged in the scientific world, and the publication of a study in a journal that is indexed there is an important step in the professional activity of a researcher. The scale of this platform is impressive: about 43 thousand scientific publications, 140 thousand conference materials, and 250 thousand books and book series. The Scopus database was created in 2004, but the depth of its archives reaches 1823.
How to publish a study in Scopus? Basic requirements
Publication in a journal with high ratings, indexed in the database of Scopus, should be characterised by the following parameters:
- Possess a high level of relevance and originality, and be valuable to the scientific community. These are the most basic criteria, and failure to comply with them can lead to dismissal even before the review.
- Have a low level of plagiarism and self-citation. Otherwise, the authors may suffer reputational losses, they may be included in the so-called "black lists".
- Comply with the scientific style and basic technical requirements.
- It is strictly forbidden to submit previously published material for consideration.
- Refer to current sources and not duplicate other inventions.
- The metadata of the study (title, abstract, and keywords) must correspond to the subject area and discipline of the study.
- Possess a professional level of academic translation, considering the profile terminology.
- The format of the study must correspond to the IMRAD structure.
Why would a researcher publish a study in a Scopus journal?
Publishing a study in a journal indexed in Scopus is an important career achievement for many researchers.
In addition, access to Scopus offers the following opportunities:
- Simplifies the process of searching for scientific information due to advanced features, for example through Mendeley
- Offers new opportunities for international cooperation due to Scopus ID, ORCID
- Expands the possibilities for tracking the main scientometric indicators of the author (citation, Hirsch index) and journals (SJR, SNIP, CiteScore).
Urgent publication in Scopus: what are the realistic timeframes for peer review?
Some unscrupulous companies or journals offer to publish a study in journals from the Scopus database in a month or even less. This is a clear sign of fraud or predatory activity. For successful publication, it is necessary to be patient, because scientific material must undergo peer review by reviewers and the editorial board.
Scientific journals indexed in Scopus receive a large volume of research material every day, so the review process may be delayed since the load on reviewers and the editorial board is peak.
Therefore, authors should expect a time frame from 6 months to 1 year. Sometimes the review process lasts less, but in special cases, it can reach up to 2-2.5 years (for very popular publications usually).
How much does it cost to publish a study in Scopus?
The cost of publishing in Scopus scientific journals directly depends on their business model and publication fees. On average, the price varies from 500 to 1000 dollars.
Publication fee ≠ buying a publication in Scopus journal
Such contributions exist to pay for the work of editors and reviewers and to cover the costs of publishing the issue of the publication. Researchers often divide the cost between co-authors or submit the study for funding programmes to minimise costs.
Is it possible to publish a study for free in Scopus? This option is possible, but it requires extraordinary efforts on the part of researchers. This is possible in the following cases:
- Sponsorship by the university, commercial organisations, or partners. In such cases, sponsors should also be interested in the material.
- "The conventional model". Readers pay for a subscription to the material.
- Journals are characterised by a strong marketing strategy and cover publishing costs through advertising. Such a model is very rare.
Free publication in Scopus is possible, but there are very few publications that work according to this model, most of them receive an excessively large amount of materials, so the review time frame can last for years.
Information and indexing system (database) Scopus offers new opportunities for researchers, therefore it puts high demands on authors, journals, and the content they post. If you need help with publishing a study in publications from the Scopus database, leave a request on our website. The Scientific Publications company has competence, professionalism, and many years of experience in the successful implementation of scientific projects.
We look forward to cooperating!
