Scopus continuously monitors indexed journals. A journal can be discontinued when it no longer meets Scopus quality and ethical standards. This usually happens after re-evaluation by the Content Selection & Advisory Board (CSAB).
Violation of Publishing Ethics
Journals may be discontinued if they show unethical practices such as plagiarism, fake peer review, manipulated citations, or lack of clear ethics policies. Any serious breach of publication ethics is a strong reason for removal.
Poor or Fake Peer Review
If Scopus finds that peer review is weak, rushed, non-transparent, or not followed properly, the journal can be flagged. Journals that accept papers too quickly without genuine review are at high risk.
Excessive Self-Citation or Citation Manipulation
Artificially increasing citations—through excessive self-citation or citation cartels—is closely monitored. When detected, Scopus may discontinue the journal to protect citation integrity.
Decline in Academic Quality
A consistent drop in article quality, unclear research contribution, or repetitive low-value publications can lead to discontinuation. Scopus expects journals to maintain long-term scholarly standards.
Irregular Publishing or Poor Management
Journals that stop publishing regularly, miss issues, change scope suddenly, or show unstable editorial management may be removed during re-evaluation.
Predatory or Commercial-Only Behavior
If a journal operates mainly for APC collection, publishes almost everything submitted, or lacks real editorial oversight, Scopus may classify it as low quality and discontinue it.
Important Note
When a journal is discontinued:
Previously published articles usually remain indexed
New articles after discontinuation are NOT indexed
Discontinued journals are marked clearly in the Scopus source list