Video: Why Does Scopus Reject Journals? Lessons for Journal Editors
What 106 rejected journals and the JMCL success story teach editors
Summary
Brieflands has released a short educational video for journal editors on why Scopus rejects journals. Based on a study of 106 rejected journals, article quality (36.8%) and lack of internationality (34.0%) together made up over 70% of rejections. The video presents the winning model, a journal that is specialized but open and international, and the experience of the Journal of Motor Control and Learning (JMCL), accepted by Scopus on its first application.
Brieflands has released a short educational video for journal editors and editorial board members. It answers a question many editors ask: why does Scopus reject some journals, and what do successful journals have in common?
Watch the video on YouTube: Why Does Scopus Reject Journals?
What the video covers
- A study in Science Editing of 106 journals rejected by the Scopus Content Selection & Advisory Board (CSAB) between 2011 and 2019.
- The two leading reasons: quality of articles (36.8%) and lack of internationality (34.0%), which together made up over 70% of rejections.
- Further reasons: editorial policy, including unclear aims and scope (16.0%), low article volume, publication delays and subject overlap.
- The winning model: a journal that is specialized, but open and international.
- The experience of the Journal of Motor Control and Learning (JMCL), accepted by Scopus on its first application.
Five lessons for editors
- Keep the journal's aims and scope precise, and check that published articles match it.
- Treat writing quality, clear abstracts and readability as editorial priorities.
- Invite active international researchers as authors, reviewers and editorial board members.
- Publish on schedule, without delays or interruptions.
- Build citation impact responsibly, with relevant reviews and topical articles, and keep self-citation under control.
Read more about how JMCL reached Scopus: Journal of Motor Control and Learning Accepted for Coverage in Scopus.
Source: Jang H. Analysis of Korean journals rejected by Scopus since 2011. Sci Ed. 2020;7(1):50-54. doi:10.6087/kcse.189