Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, including scientific journals, books, and conference proceedings.

Launched by Elsevier in 2004, Scopus provides a comprehensive overview of the world's research output in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities. It indexes over 27,000 active titles from more than 7,000 publishers worldwide.

Scopus is widely used by researchers, institutions, and funding agencies to track citations, measure research impact through metrics like CiteScore, SJR (SCImago Journal Rank), and SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper), and discover relevant literature in their field.

It serves as a powerful tool for evaluating the quality of journals and the impact of individual research papers, making it an essential resource for the global academic community.

Scopus was launched by Elsevier in November 2004 as a comprehensive abstract and citation database designed to rival existing indexing services.

Before Scopus, Web of Science (formerly ISI Web of Knowledge) by Clarivate Analytics was the dominant citation database. Elsevier recognized the need for a more inclusive and user-friendly database that would cover a broader range of journals, especially from non-English-speaking countries and emerging research regions.

At its launch, Scopus indexed approximately 14,000 titles. Over the years, the database has grown significantly, now covering over 27,000 active titles and containing more than 90 million records dating back to 1788.

In 2006, Elsevier established the Content Selection and Advisory Board (CSAB), an independent panel of researchers and librarians who evaluate and recommend journals for inclusion in Scopus. This ensured a transparent and rigorous selection process.

Scopus introduced CiteScore in 2016 as an alternative to the traditional Impact Factor, providing a more transparent and comprehensive measure of journal citation impact. CiteScore calculates the average citations received per document published in a journal over a four-year period.

Today, Scopus is recognized as one of the two leading global citation databases alongside Web of Science, and is widely used for research evaluation, university rankings, and funding decisions around the world.

Scopus journals are ranked into four quartiles (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) based on their citation metrics within each subject category. This ranking system helps researchers identify the most impactful journals in their field.

Q1 (First Quartile) – These are the top 25% of journals in a given subject category. Q1 journals are considered the most prestigious and have the highest citation impact. Publishing in a Q1 journal is highly valued in academic evaluations.

Q2 (Second Quartile) – Journals ranking between the 50th and 75th percentile. These are well-regarded journals with good citation impact and are widely recognized in their respective fields.

Q3 (Third Quartile) – Journals ranking between the 25th and 50th percentile. These journals have moderate citation impact and are still considered legitimate indexed journals.

Q4 (Fourth Quartile) – Journals in the bottom 25% of their subject category. While they have the lowest citation impact among Scopus-indexed journals, they are still legitimate peer-reviewed publications indexed in Scopus.

The quartile rankings are updated annually and are based on metrics such as CiteScore, SJR, and SNIP calculated from Scopus data.

CiteScore is a journal-level metric introduced by Elsevier in 2016 that measures the average citations received per document published in a journal. It is calculated using Scopus data and is freely available to everyone.

CiteScore is calculated by dividing the number of citations received in a given year to documents published in the previous four years by the total number of documents published in those same four years. For example, CiteScore 2024 counts citations received in 2024 to documents published in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Unlike the traditional Impact Factor (which only counts citations from journals), CiteScore includes citations from all document types — including journals, books, conference proceedings, and trade publications — making it a more comprehensive metric.

Scopus indexing is considered a hallmark of quality and credibility for academic journals. Here's why it matters:

1. Research Visibility: Scopus-indexed journals have global visibility, ensuring that published research reaches a wider audience of researchers, academicians, and practitioners worldwide.

2. Academic Career Advancement: Many universities and research institutions require faculty members to publish in Scopus-indexed journals for promotions, tenure, and performance evaluations.

3. Funding and Grants: Funding agencies and grant bodies often consider publications in Scopus-indexed journals as a key criterion when evaluating research proposals and grant applications.

4. University Rankings: Major university ranking systems like QS World Rankings, THE World University Rankings, and ARWU use Scopus data to measure research output and citation impact of institutions.

5. Quality Assurance: The rigorous evaluation process by the Scopus Content Selection and Advisory Board (CSAB) ensures that only quality journals with proper peer review processes are indexed.

6. Citation Tracking: Scopus provides comprehensive citation tracking, enabling researchers to measure the impact of their publications and identify trends in their research area.

Getting a journal indexed in Scopus requires meeting strict quality criteria set by the Scopus Content Selection and Advisory Board (CSAB). Here is the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Meet Minimum Criteria – The journal must have peer-reviewed content, have a valid ISSN, publish content in English (or at minimum have English-language abstracts, titles, and references), and have a publication ethics and malpractice statement.

Step 2: Build a Track Record – The journal should have been publishing consistently for at least 2 years with a regular publication schedule. It should have a diverse and reputable editorial board with international representation.

Step 3: Submit Application – Submit the journal for evaluation through the Scopus Source Suggestion Form available on the Elsevier website. The application requires details about the journal's editorial policy, peer review process, publication history, and other relevant information.

Step 4: CSAB Evaluation – The CSAB reviews the journal based on 14 selection criteria covering journal policy, content quality, journal standing, and publishing regularity. The evaluation typically takes 12-18 months.

Step 5: Decision – The journal receives one of three outcomes: Accepted (indexed in Scopus), Rejected, or Asked to resubmit after addressing specific concerns.

Step 6: Continuous Re-evaluation – Once indexed, journals are subject to ongoing monitoring and may be removed if they fail to maintain quality standards.

Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) are the two most widely used citation databases in the world. While both serve similar purposes, there are key differences:

Coverage: Scopus indexes over 27,000 active titles, while Web of Science covers approximately 21,000 journals. Scopus has broader coverage, especially in social sciences and engineering fields.

Impact Metrics: Scopus uses CiteScore, SJR, and SNIP, while Web of Science uses the traditional Impact Factor (IF) calculated by Clarivate's Journal Citation Reports (JCR).

Geographic Coverage: Scopus has better representation of journals from developing countries and non-English speaking regions, while Web of Science has traditionally focused more on journals from North America and Western Europe.

Conference Proceedings: Scopus provides better coverage of conference proceedings compared to Web of Science.

Historical Coverage: Web of Science has citation data going back to 1900, while Scopus has records from 1788 but more comprehensive coverage from 1996 onwards.

Both databases are respected globally and many journals are indexed in both Scopus and Web of Science. Researchers are advised to publish in journals that are indexed in at least one of these databases for maximum research visibility and impact.

Publishing in a Scopus indexed journal requires careful planning and adherence to academic standards. Follow these steps:

• Select the Right Journal: Choose a Scopus-indexed journal that matches your research topic and scope. Check the journal's CiteScore, quartile ranking, and subject category on the Scopus website to ensure it aligns with your research field.

• Prepare Your Manuscript: Write your research paper following the journal's author guidelines. Ensure your manuscript includes a clear abstract, proper methodology, results, discussion, and references formatted according to the journal's citation style.

• Check for Plagiarism: Use plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin, iThenticate, or Grammarly to ensure your manuscript is original. Most Scopus journals require a plagiarism similarity index below 15-20%.

• Submit Online: Submit your manuscript through the journal's online submission system (commonly ScholarOne, Editorial Manager, or OJS). Include a well-written cover letter addressed to the editor.

• Peer Review Process: After initial screening, your paper will be sent for peer review. This typically takes 4-12 weeks. Address all reviewer comments thoroughly and resubmit the revised manuscript within the given deadline.

• Acceptance and Publication: Upon acceptance, you may need to pay Article Processing Charges (APC) for open access journals. After payment and final proofreading, your paper will be published and indexed in Scopus.

To verify if a journal is indexed in Scopus, you can use the following methods:

• Scopus Source List: Visit the official Scopus Source List at www.scopus.com/sources and search for the journal by title, ISSN, or publisher. This is the most reliable method.

• Elsevier Journal Finder: Use the Elsevier Journal Finder tool to check if a journal is part of the Scopus database.

• SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR): Visit www.scimagojr.com to search for journals indexed in Scopus along with their quartile rankings and SJR scores.

• Beware of Predatory Journals: Always verify Scopus indexing through official sources. Some predatory journals falsely claim to be indexed in Scopus. Cross-check the journal's ISSN on the official Scopus source list to confirm its indexing status.