Scopus Indexed Journal Readiness Checklist

This Scopus indexed journal readiness checklist is for researchers who plan to submit to a Scopus-indexed or other indexed journal and want to check the basics first. It is educational and free to use. It follows the same idea as the Think. Check. Submit. approach: check the journal before you trust it with your paper. For extra help, our journal selection support turns the checklist into a reasoned shortlist. Publish With Scopus does not guarantee acceptance or indexing.

Indexing status is not acceptance

A journal being listed in Scopus or Web of Science tells you something about the journal. It does not tell you your paper will be accepted. Editors decide on scope, quality, and fit. Also, indexing status can change, so a journal that was indexed last year may not be indexed when you submit. Treat indexing as one check among several, not as the whole decision.

Part 1: Is the journal legitimate?

• The publisher has a real website with contact details, an editorial office, and a named editor in chief.
• The editorial board lists real people with institutional affiliations you can confirm elsewhere.
• Aims and scope are specific, not a list of every subject.
• The peer review process is described in plain terms, including who reviews and roughly how long it takes.
• Fees, if any, are stated openly before submission.
• There is no promise of guaranteed acceptance or unusually fast publication.
• The journal’s ISSN is valid and matches the journal name and publisher.

If several of these fail, read our guide to predatory journal warning signs.

Part 2: Does the journal fit your paper?

• Your topic and method appear in the journal’s aims and scope.
• You have read two or three recent articles and your paper sits comfortably beside them.
• Your paper type is accepted, for example original research, review, or short communication.
• The audience of the journal is the audience you want.
• Length, structure, and reference style requirements are clear and realistic for you.

Poor fit is a common reason for desk rejection. See why research papers get desk-rejected and how to choose a Scopus journal.

Part 3: How to verify a journal in Scopus Sources

1. Open Scopus Sources on the official Scopus website.
2. Search by journal title or ISSN.
3. Open the journal record and check that the title, publisher, and ISSN match the journal you plan to use.
4. Check the coverage information. Look for the years covered and whether the title is shown as currently active.
5. Note the subject area and any metrics shown, and record the date you checked.
6. Check again close to submission, because coverage can change.

Do not rely on a WhatsApp image, a screenshot, a PDF list, or a claim on the journal’s own homepage. Use the official source. If your institution also requires Web of Science, check that on the official Web of Science sources your institution accepts. Our Scopus vs Web of Science page explains how they differ.

Part 4: How to check a journal in DOAJ

1. Open the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
2. Search for the journal by title or ISSN.
3. If it is listed, review the record for the publisher, licence terms, and any stated article processing charge.
4. If it is not listed, that is not proof the journal is bad, but ask why before you continue.

Remember what DOAJ is. It is a directory of vetted open access journals. A DOAJ listing is not the same as Scopus indexing, and a Scopus listing is not the same as a DOAJ listing. Use each for what it shows.

Part 5: Costs and rights

• Write down any article processing charge and when it is payable.
• Check the licence you will sign and what you keep as the author.
• Confirm whether your funder or institution requires a particular open access route.

Journal fees are set by the journal or publisher and paid to them. For how our own support is quoted, see the Scopus price and publication cost guide.

Part 6: Is the manuscript ready?

• The contribution is stated clearly in one paragraph.
• The abstract, title, and keywords are written for this journal.
• Ethics, consent, funding, data availability, and competing interest statements are complete.
• Authorship and affiliations are final.
• The cover letter is short, honest, and specific.

Use our manuscript submission guidance checklist for the final package.

Quick summary

Check legitimacy, then fit, then indexing on the official source, then cost and rights, then manuscript readiness. If any step fails, pause and fix it before you submit. A short list of journals with a reason for each is better than a long list of names.

How we can help

If you would like a second pair of eyes, we can review your shortlist and your manuscript against this checklist. We are UK-registered in London. We are not a publisher and not Scopus. We do not guarantee acceptance or indexing outcomes. You can read more about Scopus publication support or contact us directly.

A worked example: running the checklist on one journal

This example is hypothetical. The journal is called Journal X, and the author wants to submit a clinical audit.

• Part 1, legitimacy: the publisher’s site names an editor-in-chief and a board with verifiable institutions, and the review process is described. Result: pass.
• Part 2, fit: the aims mention clinical audit, but the three recent papers are all randomised trials. Result: amber. A presubmission enquiry is sensible.
• Part 3, Scopus Sources: the title and ISSN match, and the record is active. The date is recorded. Result: pass.
• Part 4, DOAJ: not listed. Journal X is a subscription title, so absence is expected. Result: not applicable.
• Part 5, costs and rights: no author charge, but the author signs a copyright transfer. Result: pass, with a note to check funder rules on repository deposit.
• Part 6, manuscript: the ethics statement is missing. Result: stop until it is added.

Decision: the author sends a presubmission enquiry, adds the ethics statement, and submits only if the editor responds that the audit fits.

A recording sheet you can copy

• Journal, publisher and ISSN
• Date of each check and the source used
• Result for each of the six parts: pass, amber or stop
• Charges and licence terms in one line
• Questions to ask the editor
• Decision and the reason for it

Pass, amber or stop

Stop means do not submit until resolved: a promise of guaranteed acceptance, payment before review, or an indexing claim you cannot verify on the official source. Amber means ask first: a new journal without a track record, unclear fees, a board you cannot verify, or a topic that only partly fits. Pass means the evidence is in front of you and matches the journal’s claims. Keep the sheet; it helps if a co-author or supervisor asks why you chose the journal.

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