Analysis of publications by authors of Ukrainian institutes in Scopus-delisted titles

TL;DR

This study analyzes the extent and impact of Ukrainian researchers publishing in Scopus-delisted journals from 2011 to 2020, revealing significant publication and citation practices in certain fields and institutions.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of Ukrainian publications in delisted titles, highlighting implications for research evaluation systems.

Findings

46.92% of Ukrainian papers in economics were in delisted journals

Two institutions' delisted papers received citations exceeding average Scopus papers

Delisted publications significantly influence Ukrainian research metrics

Abstract

In Ukraine, Scopus data are used to evaluate academics. Existing shortcomings in the Ukrainian evaluation system allow them to publish in titles that have been delisted from Scopus, and continue to use those papers as credible research output for evaluation. The purpose of this study was to analyse the publishing activity of Ukrainian institutions in Scopus-delisted titles (as of September 2021) in different fields between 2011 and 2020 and to attempt to appreciate how common this practice is among Ukrainian authors. Scopus was sourced to collect bibliographic and citations-related data, while SciVal was used to analyse these data. The findings suggest that for 17 Ukrainian institutions, papers from titles that have been delisted from Scopus still play an important part of the publication achievement of their employees. In particular, in the field of economics, econometrics and finance, 46.92% of Ukrainian papers were published in a title that was excluded from Scopus. Moreover, the analysis indicated that in two Ukrainian institutions, the level of citation of such papers significantly exceeds the average number of citations to Scopus-indexed papers in the same year and in the same field. Given that bibliometric indicators are also used for research assessment in other Eastern European countries, the results of this paper are applicable to a wider geographic context.