Publishing a scientific article in reputable databases such as Scopus and Web of Science is an important step in every researcher's career. It can take weeks, or even months, to prepare quality materials, review, and place an article in a journal. Timely submission of a research paper can be critical if publication is required by a certain deadline. When should you start preparing an article for publication in an international database? We will tell you in this article.
The main stages of the publication process in an international database
Publishing a scientific article in international databases such as Scopus or Web of Science is a complex and multi-step process. To get successful indexing, it is necessary to understand the main steps to be followed. Let's consider the key stages of the publication process.
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Journal selection. This is the first and most responsible step. In order not to face rejection later, you should choose the publication carefully. It is important to take into account such factors as: subject matter, citation indexes of the journal, target audience, recommendations of the editorial board regarding the published materials.
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Article preparation. The journal for publication has been selected, now there is no less complicated stage of preparing a scientific paper. The publications included in the databases (DB) Scopus and Web of Science, put forward strict criteria for the selection of articles, which can not be ignored. Make sure that the article conforms to the scientific style, and the structure, bibliography, tables and figures are designed according to the rules of the journal.
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Translation of the paper into academic English.
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Submission of materials to the editorial board of the journal and reviewing. At this stage, any work (even of excellent quality) may be rejected due to non-compliance with the basic requirements of the journal, its subject matter and focus. It is important to follow the publication's recommendations clearly and consistently in order not to be rejected. You should also check your e-mail regularly to ensure that you do not miss reviewers' comments and make timely revisions to the paper, if any.
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Revision of the article and editing (if necessary). If the article was accepted with revisions, the authors should make appropriate changes to the text and prepare a response to the reviewers' comments. This stage requires attention and careful work, as the final result may depend on the correct corrections.
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Publication of the article. After the article is accepted, the publication process begins. Depending on the journal, this may take some time. Some publications first publish articles online (early view) and then publish them in the print version.
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Indexing of the work in the database. Publishing an article alreadydoes not guarantee its indexing in Scopus or Web of Science. The scientific work must pass the final stage of verification, and only then it will be displayed on the platform.
How long does it take to publish an article in the international databases Scopus and Web of Science?
To understand how long it takes to publish an article in a reputable database, let's consider the most time-consuming processes:
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Material preparation: can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year, depending on the type of article. Review articles or case studies can take up to one month to write, while original research can take a year or more to complete.
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reviewing: the timeframe for reviewing depends on the complexity and specificity of the article topic, the availability of specialists in a particular subject area, and the employment of reviewers. On average, the process of evaluation of scientific publications takes from 3 to 6 months
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article indexing: usually an article appears in the database 2-4 weeks after publication. However, in some cases, the process can take up to 1-2 months, especially if the journal provides data irregularly.
Thus, the publication process in Scopus and Web of Science can take six months to one year. This should be taken into account when planning for publication.
Factors affecting the timing of publication of an article
Duration of peer review
The review process in Scopus and Web of Science can take several months. The scientific journals indexed in these databases strive to maintain high publication standards, so the quality assurance process can be quite time-consuming: initial editorial review, assignment of reviewers, review and approval of the article. This is often followed by corrections and re-checking. All of this takes time, especially if there are disputes about the content of the work.
Competition for publication
Journals included in the Scopus and Web of Science databases often receive hundreds or thousands of submissions from scientists from all over the world for one place in an issue. This results in high competition and, as a consequence, long processing times. Even if your paper has been peer-reviewed, due to the large number of submissions it may be delayed for publication in subsequent issues of the journal. By submitting your paper early, you increase the chances that it will be published on time and remain relevant.
Database
Journals peer-reviewed by Scopus are slightly faster in processing submissions compared to those indexed by Web of Science. This is due to the disciplinary focus of WOS - the platform mainly specializes in mathematical and technical sciences. Detailed verification of methodology, research results and conclusions increases the overall publication time. In addition, the indexing process in Web of Science usually takes longer due to more thorough data verification. While Scopus emphasizes the speed of database updates, Web of Science prefers to thoroughly check the metadata of articles and journals, which adds to the indexing time.
Considering the above factors, it is important to submit an article well in advance, especially if publication is tied to specific deadlines, such as for a dissertation defense, grant, or reporting to an academic institution.
If you need publication in the international database Scopus or Web of Science in 2025, you should start preparing for publication now. The specialists of Scientific Publications are ready to help you place your scientific work in the right journal in a short period of time. We have eight years of experience in working with world-class publications and are ready to guarantee the result of indexing a scientific article in Scopus or WOS. To get a free consultation, leave your contact details in the form below.
