Scopus indexing: the evaluation process and the CSAB criteria
What Scopus checks before a journal is reviewed, the 14 criteria its Content Selection and Advisory Board applies, how a title is suggested, and what happens after the decision — from Elsevier's own page.
Step 1 — the minimum criteria
A journal is reviewed only if it meets all five:
- It publishes peer-reviewed content, and describes its peer-review process publicly.
- It publishes on a regular schedule and has a registered ISSN.
- It has a publication history the board can review.
- Its content is relevant and readable for an international audience: English titles and abstracts at the least.
- It has a public publication ethics and malpractice statement.
Step 2 — the 14 CSAB criteria, in five groups
Journal policy
- A convincing editorial policy
- The type of peer review
- Editors from a broad geographic spread
- Authors from a broad geographic spread
Content
- Academic contribution to the field
- Clarity of abstracts
- Quality of the articles and their fit with the stated aims and scope
- Readability of the articles
Journal standing
- How often its articles are cited in Scopus
- The standing of its editors
Publishing regularity
- No delays or interruptions in the publication schedule
Online availability
- Full content available online
- A home page in English
- The quality of the home page
Step 3 — suggesting the title
The publisher or the editor suggests the journal through Scopus's Title Suggestion Form, after checking that it is not already in the Scopus title list. Each suggestion gets a Tracking ID. Scopus can also invite a journal into evaluation, but only with the publisher's consent.
After the decision
The outcome comes with the reviewers' comments. A rejected title waits out an embargo before it can be suggested again; an appeal is possible within six weeks, for significant factual errors only. Covered titles are re-evaluated when concerns are raised or Elsevier's data model flags unusual patterns — content pauses during the review, and the title is continued or discontinued.
Questions editors ask
How does Scopus decide whether to index a journal?
A journal is first checked against minimum criteria (peer review, a regular schedule with a registered ISSN, a publication history, English titles and abstracts, a public ethics statement). If it passes, the Content Selection and Advisory Board — an independent board of subject experts — reviews it against 14 criteria in five groups: journal policy, content, journal standing, publishing regularity and online availability. Elsevier follows the board's advice.
What is the CSAB?
The Content Selection and Advisory Board: an independent, international board of subject experts that reviews every title suggested for Scopus, using both figures (such as how often the journal's articles are cited in Scopus) and reading (such as the clarity of abstracts and the editorial policy).
Who can suggest a journal to Scopus, and how?
The publisher or the editor, through Scopus's own Title Suggestion Form. First check the current Scopus title list to be sure the journal is not already covered. The suggestion gets a Tracking ID to follow its progress.
How long does the Scopus evaluation take?
Elsevier's page publishes no fixed time. Plan for months, not weeks, and keep publishing on schedule while the review runs: regularity is one of the criteria.
How many years must a journal publish before applying to Scopus?
Elsevier's page sets no minimum number of years; it asks for "a publication history to be reviewed". In practice the board needs enough published issues, and enough citations of them in Scopus, to judge the criteria.
What happens if Scopus rejects a journal?
The publisher receives the outcome with the reviewers' comments, and the title cannot be suggested again until an embargo period ends. An appeal is possible within six weeks of the letter, only for significant factual errors and with clear evidence.
Can a journal be removed from Scopus later?
Yes. Covered titles are re-evaluated when concerns are raised or when Elsevier's data model flags unusual patterns in publishing, citations or content. Content stops flowing during the review; the title is then continued or discontinued.
Can anyone guarantee Scopus indexing?
No. The CSAB decides, and no agency or service can promise a listing or a date. What can be done is to make sure the journal meets every criterion it can control before it is suggested — policies, board, regular publishing, a complete English home page and complete metadata.
How we help before a journal is suggested
We check the journal against every criterion the public record can show, then put right what is in the journal's hands: policy pages, a current international editorial board, complete Crossref metadata and DOIs, an English home page that indexes can read, and a publishing schedule kept on time. We never promise a listing or a date — the board decides.
Source of every fact on this page: Elsevier — Scopus content policy and selection (read 30 October 2026).
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