Continued struggle: The growth of Scopus-indexed journals in Africa over the last decade

Abstract

This study aimed to assess journals indexed in Scopus from African countries, drawing on data spanning 2003 to 2023 but focusing on the most recent decade (2013–2023) to examine geographic distribution, rankings, publishers, and disciplines. Data on journals indexed in Scopus were collected and analyzed using the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) portal. The findings revealed a significant under-representation of African journals in Scopus compared to other global regions. Among African countries, Egypt and South Africa had the highest journal coverage in Scopus, with South Africa exhibiting consistent growth across disciplines and journal types. While there was a growing preference for open access (OA) journals in Africa, the growth rates of both OA and non-OA journals indexed in Scopus remained lower compared to other regions of the world. However, South Africa showed a notable increase in both OA and non-OA journal coverage during this period, distinguishing it from other African countries. This study also revealed a prevalence of journals ranked in Q3, with relatively few ranked in Q1, presenting a challenge for African researchers in accessing and contributing to high-impact journals within Scopus. The representation of disciplines among African journals indexed in Scopus highlights a concentration in Medicine across all three major countries, with South Africa showing particular strength in Social Sciences. The study concludes that African scholarly publishing faces complex challenges in achieving Scopus indexing. It recommends adjusting Scopus indexing criteria to better align with African contexts, which could enhance the representation of African journals.