Twenty-five journals in May. Twelve more in June. In just two months, Scopus has excluded 37 titles from its database.
Each update is not a piece of news to read and move on from. It is a direct signal to every researcher currently selecting a journal for submission. Because that is exactly what risk looks like in 2026: not some abstract predatory outlet, but a journal that was indexed yesterday and is gone today.
June’s update spans eight countries and at least six scientific fields — ecology, pharmacy, engineering, orthopaedics, public health, and environmental studies. Eight journals were permanently excluded (Discontinuation). Four others changed their editorial policies to the point where Scopus could no longer confirm compliance with its own standards (Journal change policy).
No author who had submitted a manuscript to any of these journals received any notification.
In our Scopus Removal Candidates series, we track journals showing early warning signs — before Scopus acts. One of the June removals was covered in Episode 1 of the series:
Retos (Spain) — analysed in Episode 1 of the Scopus Removal Candidates series. Read the analysis →
A Spanish journal covering physical education and sport sciences. At the time of our analysis, we flagged several warning signs typical of at-risk journals:
– sharp growth in publication volume within a short period;
– significantly shortened peer review timelines;
– active promotion through academic intermediaries.
June’s Scopus update confirmed our assessment.
ℹ️ This journal was flagged in Episode 1 of our Scopus Removal Candidates series — removal was predicted.
This month’s removals happened without any prior warning.
Use our free 7-point Red Flags Checklist to verify any journal in under 5 minutes — before it’s too late.