Greetings, dear colleagues!
With you Vasyl Malets — Director of the “Academy of Articles” and author of an analytical column "Journals That May Lose Their Indexing in Scopus".
Today marks the second issue of 2026, and it turned out to be quite revealing. Our list this time includes four magazines, two of which are from Q1
In this issue, we'll take a look at:
- Issue 1 of Q3 magazine, which has become a veritable publishing machine — 16 issues in a few months instead of 4 per year;
- 1 new journal in Scopus that, immediately after being included in the database, began sending out invitations en masse to "the rapid publication of any articles";
- 2 Q1 journals—because, unfortunately, Q1 is not yet a guarantee of safety, and today's review confirms this.
Unfortunately, all the publications on today’s list are not isolated mistakes, but rather entrenched predatory practices: mass publications without proper peer review, disregard for academic standards, and a focus not on science but on quick profits.
It is precisely these types of magazines that most often lead to:
- wasted time and money for the authors;
- problems with publishing articles;
- the risk that the journal will be removed from Scopus in the near future.
In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at each journal, explain exactly which “red flags” authors should watch out for, and why publishing in such journals in 2026 is a high-stakes game.
List of applicants:
1. International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology (IJDDT)
ISSN: 0975-4415
🔗 Link to Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/20500195212
🔗 Magazine website: https://ijddt.com/
🔗 SCImago: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=20500195212&tip=sid
Review: The *International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology* has been indexed in Scopus since 2014 and, until 2026, published exclusively articles that fell within its aims and scope—four issues per year, with a clear focus on pharmaceuticals. But in just a few months, the situation changed dramatically.
Since the beginning of 2026, the magazine has already published 16 (!) issues instead of the traditional 4 per year. Each issue contains about a hundred articles. And it’s not just about the quantity. The content has long since gone beyond the field of pharmaceuticals: articles on agronomy, education, business, law—practically “everything under the sun.”
Main conclusion: The journal acts as a “catch-all for just about anything, with a dash of pharmaceuticals.” Scope is defined as narrow (drug delivery)—but the reality is a broad, multidisciplinary chaos. The gap between what’s stated and what’s actually happening is critical.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Q3
- Country: India
- Topics: pharmaceutical science, drug delivery
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 1,800 USD
Main violations:
- 100+ articles in a single issue—that's not a magazine anymore, it's an assembly line;
- "11s" and similar issues—mass uploads in the "special issue factory" format;
- Articles on topics other than pharmaceuticals make up the majority of the issues;
- They accept practically everything without paying attention to the focus.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: 100%
- The probability that articles that have already been indexed will be deindexed: 95%
2. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts
E-ISSN: 2582-7472
🔗 Links on Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101365669
🔗 Magazine website: https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/index.php/ShodhKosh
Review: The journal was recently indexed in Scopus and has not yet accumulated a large number of articles. However, it has already sparked a wave of mass invitations promising rapid publication of any material.
The journal’s title is “Art and Performing Arts.” It sounds narrow. But if you look at the actual content of the issues, the picture is different: there are already articles with absolutely no connection to art, and the scope is so broad that it covers “almost everything.” The editorial team’s logic is obvious: “If there’s even one word like ‘media,’ ‘culture,’ or ‘cinema’—we’ll take it. If not—well… we’ll take it anyway 🙂.”
This is a classic “multidisciplinary dump” masquerading as an arts journal. In the coming months, we can expect issues crammed full of content—it’s already easy to predict this turn of events at this early stage.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Not yet assigned (new journal in Scopus)
- Country: India
- Topics: visual and performing arts
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 800 USD
Main violations:
- articles that aren't about art at all—there are already some;
- The scope is too broad and vague—in fact, it has virtually no limits;
- Quantity is more important than concept;
- Mass invitations to “fast-track publication” are a sign of predatory practices.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: 100%
- The probability that articles that have already been indexed will be deindexed: 95%
3. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships
ISSN: 1981-6472
🔗 Link to Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100790313
🔗 Magazine website: https://ojs.interpersonajournal.com/index.php/ojs/index
🔗 SCImago: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100790313&tip=sid
Review: It's already Q1—and this is an important point to pause on. Because Q1 doesn't automatically mean "safe." This case is one of the best examples of how this works.
The journal has long been established as an academic journal on interpersonal relationships. But it recently changed publishers—it moved to the Brazilian organization GATE—and that's when strange things started happening.
The magazine's "Scope" section is written in a way that's both brilliant and suspicious at the same time 😄 — "about human relationships in any area of life". This makes it possible to submit work in psychology, business, law, biology—and, in fact, just about anything. In practice, the journal is already sending out invitations offering expedited publication for a fee, bypassing any peer review.
We've already discussed a similar case—the magazine Journal of Cultural Analysis (Contenders No. 12). The situation is exactly the same.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Q1 (Cultural Studies)
- Country: Brazil (new publisher starting in 2025)
- Topics: interpersonal relationships
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 2,000 USD
Main violations:
- change in publisher → a radical change in editorial policy;
- scope — a rubber band that works for just about anything;
- There are already articles without a clear interpersonal focus;
- Fast publication for a fee, without peer review.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: high
- Probability of articles being deindexed: High — Q1 masks problematic editorial practices
⚠️ Key takeaway for authors: This is a classic example of a journal that is still technically in Q1, but based on its performance and editorial practices, it is already in the critical-risk zone. Publishing in this journal in 2026 would be a serious gamble with one’s own scientific reputation.
4. Indian Journal of Information Sources and Services (IJISS)
ISSN: 2231-6094
🔗 Link to Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101180700
🔗 Magazine website: https://ojs.trp.org.in/index.php/ijiss/index
🔗 SCImago: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21101180700&tip=sid
Review: Another Q1—and another alarming case. Because the violations here are particularly widespread.
The journal claims to focus on library and information science (LIS). It has been indexed in Scopus since 2023. But if you look at the actual content, the picture is quite different.
The magazine’s issues feature articles on tourism and the hospitality industry, marketing and finance (CAPM, crowdfunding), HR and personnel management, law (constitutional courts, Qisas), medicine (AI in cardiology), psychology and sociology, agriculture, and even blockchain in the fashion industry. And this isn’t just a couple of outliers. It’s widespread. Over 50% articles fall outside the core LIS.
Main conclusion: The magazine “plays the role of LIS—it functions as a multidisciplinary factory.” This is a classic case study: what a magazine looks like when faced with problems related to Scopus.
Magazine profile:
- Quartile: Q1 (Library and Information Sciences)
- Country: India
- Topics: Library Science, Information Systems
- Article Processing Charge (APC): 1,250 USD
Main violations:
- 50%+ articles outside the core LIS;
- very diverse content with no clear focus;
- a steady increase in the number of articles;
- a large number of articles in a single issue;
- a lack of disciplinary logic.
Risk assessment:
- Probability of a journal being removed from Scopus: 90%
- The probability that articles that have already been indexed will be deindexed: 30–50%
Conclusions
In this issue, we looked at four journals from different quartiles—ranging from a newcomer with no quartile to Q1. And this diversity is no coincidence. It reaffirms a simple fact:
Neither the quartile nor inclusion in Scopus alone guarantees a safe publication.
Even highly-ranked journals can, at some point, stray from the academic path and begin operating solely for the sake of quick profits. This is exactly what is happening right now with Interpersona and IJISS—both are Q1 journals, and both are already showing signs that Scopus will notice sooner or later.
Most often, authors who fall into this trap are those who need to get published quickly and fail to analyze the journal’s track record, publication volume, and alignment with its Aims & Scope. In most cases, the result is the same—wasted money and time, and problems with getting articles accepted.
Therefore, before each submission, it is important to conduct a comprehensive review of the journal: look not only at the quartile but also at the actual publication trends, topic relevance, and editorial practices. Alternatively, consult experts who work with publications on a daily basis and understand the real risks. A quick decision almost always ends up costing more than a thoughtful and proven approach.
