The October update of the Scopus database was another signal for scientists around the world.
After the September wave of removals, when popular technical and pedagogical journals disappeared from the database, in October 2025 Scopus published a new list of publications excluded due to Outlier behavior or issues with editorial policy (Publication Concerns).
Among the victims this time are several journals in which researchers from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Iraq, Turkey, and the Middle East actively published.
Most of them fall under the criteria of "Outlier Behavior", which indicates suspicion of citation manipulation or an excessive number of publications in a short period of time.
Official Scopus Excluded Journals List (October 2025)
1. Diyala Journal of Medicine
ISSN: 2219-9764 | E-ISSN: 2617-8982
Publisher: University of Diyala College of Medicine
Official reason for exclusion: Publication Concerns
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101259011
2. Dragoman
E-ISSN: 2295-1210
Publisher: Arabic Translators International
Official reason for exclusion: Publication Concerns
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101181926
3. Fusion: Practice and Applications
ISSN: 2770-0070 | E-ISSN: 2692-4048
Publisher: American Scientific Publishing Group (ASPG)
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101134649
4. Insight (Ukraine)
ISSN: 2663-970X | E-ISSN: 2664-6005
Publisher: Kherson State University (Faculty of Psychology, History and Sociology)
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101160593
5. International Journal of Advanced Intelligence Paradigms
ISSN: 1755-0386 | E-ISSN: 1755-0394
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/20400195003
6. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues
E-ISSN: 2146-4138
Publisher: Econjournals
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100373226
7. International Journal of Neutrosophic Science
ISSN: 2692-6148 | E-ISSN: 2690-6805
Publisher: American Scientific Publishing Group (ASPG)
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101066571
8. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion
E-ISSN: 3028-1318
Publisher: Dr. Esmeralda F. Sanchez
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101284807
9. Journal of Cybersecurity and Information Management
ISSN: 2769-7851 | E-ISSN: 2690-6775
Publisher: American Scientific Publishing Group (ASPG)
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101212490
10. Journal of Intelligent Systems and Internet of Things
ISSN: 2769-786X | E-ISSN: 2690-6791
Publisher: American Scientific Publishing Group (ASPG)
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101160591
11. Journal of International Dental and Medical Research
E-ISSN: 1309-100X
Publisher: University of Dicle
Official reason for exclusion: Publication Concerns
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/19900193275
12. Medical Journal of Babylon
ISSN: 1812-156X | E-ISSN: 2312-6760
Publisher: Wolters Kluwer Health
Official reason for exclusion: Publication Concerns
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101104276
13. New Emirates Medical Journal
ISSN: 0250-6882
Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
Official reason for exclusion: Outlier Behavior
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101092734
Unofficial list of journals (not included in the public Scopus update)
1. Local Law
ISSN: 1581-5374 | E-ISSN: 1855-363X
Publisher: Institute for Local Self-Government Maribor
Status: missing from the official list, but no longer appears as indexed in Scopus.
Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/17600155342
2. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics
E-ISSN: 2149-1135
Publisher: Hacettepe University
Status: is also not listed, but deindexation of articles has been recorded. Link: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100896854
Analytical conclusions
Most of the excluded publications belong to publishing houses that have already been monitored before: American Scientific Publishing Group (ASPG), Econjournals, Bentham Science Publishers.
This shows that Scopus is actively fighting not only "fake" journals, but also those who try to artificially increase their visibility through excessive citations, ethical violations, and distortion of metrics.
It is particularly noteworthy that the magazine was among those excluded. Insight (Ukraine) — one of the few Ukrainian publications that was indexed in Scopus until recently.
Its removal from the database was another reminder to scientists: even national publications with a long history are not immune from checks for compliance with Elsevier standards.
What this means for researchers
- Publications in excluded journals will not be counted when defending dissertations or applying for grants.
- In some cases, articles may be completely deindexed, that is, disappear from the Scopus pages.
- Scientists are recommended check the status of the log directly in the Scopus database before submitting the article.
If the publication has already taken place, it is worth contact the consultants of the Academy of Articlesto get recommendations on next steps: republishing, changing the journal, or developing a publishing strategy.
Conclusion
October 2025 once again demonstrated that the Scopus system is tightening control and does not leave even well-known publishers without attention.
Today scientific caution is part of professional ethics.
The Academy of Articles continues to monitor the Scopus database and promptly reports new risks so that researchers can publish with confidence, without losing time, money, and reputation.
