Scopus & Web of Science Journals: Iraq

Looking for Scopus journals in Iraq? A handful of Iraqi journals, chiefly from the University of Baghdad, report Scopus coverage, though indexing status can change. Here you will find examples, a way to check present status through the ISSN, and advice on locating strong international journals.

Scopus and Web of Science: The Essentials

Scopus, run by Elsevier, is a database of abstracts and citations with selective curation; it supplies CiteScore, and the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) uses its data. Web of Science is owned by Clarivate; the Core Collection contains ESCI (emerging sources), AHCI (arts and humanities), SSCI (social sciences) and SCIE (sciences), and the Journal Impact Factor is released through Journal Citation Reports. Titles in both are reassessed and can be removed. Read more: Scopus explained and Web of Science explained.

Scopus journals from Iraq cluster at the University of Baghdad, in the sciences and pharmacy. The Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences illustrates why up-to-date status matters: it joined Scopus in 2017, but its coverage may have been discontinued since. To see the present list, filter SCImago’s rankings to Iraq. Recording the date you checked a journal’s status protects you if its coverage changes later.

Rules for promotion and graduation at Iraqi universities frequently put weight on Scopus and Web of Science publications, and that demand feeds a market of agents and fake journals. Your safest course is to begin with the database itself, never with an advertisement.

Scopus and Web of Science Journals From Iraq

The titles below are produced in Iraq and state, on their own websites or via their publisher, that Scopus and/or Web of Science covers them. On the day you make your decision, verify each ISSN in Scopus Sources and the Master Journal List.

Noteworthy alternatives (not verified as indexed by Scopus or Web of Science)

Checked 4 October 2026. “Reported” means the journal or publisher says so; we have not independently confirmed it.

Indexing Verification Checklist

1. Note the ISSNPrint and online ISSN, as the official site displays them
2. Scopus SourcesSearch the ISSN, then check coverage years and status
3. Master Journal ListSearch the ISSN; find out whether SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI applies
4. Still covered?See Scopus's list of discontinued titles
5. Keep the evidenceDated screenshots, useful for a promotion or grant file

International Publishing for Researchers in Iraq

Researchers in Iraq can draw on more indexed national journals than researchers in many countries, yet in most fields the broadest selection remains international. Looking abroad, weigh the article processing charge (APC), whether a publisher agreement at your university pays it, and whether your field has a diamond open access journal (no fees for authors or readers); DOAJ lets you filter by “without fees”.

Find out from your university whether any publisher agreements exist and whether publication costs can be subsidised.

Quartiles, Impact Factor and Top-Tier Journals

Journal-level averages such as Impact Factor, CiteScore and SJR come from different databases and measurement windows, and they are recalculated every year. Only compare matching measures — same metric, category and year — and confirm any figure at the source, not a journal's front page. Treat a number you cannot trace as unverified.

Across Iraq, the journals with the greatest impact in a given field are usually international ones, not local ones. Discover them through the subject categories in Journal Citation Reports, Scopus Sources or SCImago, and read some recent articles to check the match. Our guide to finding high impact factor journals sets out the method step by step.

Picking an Indexed Journal for Your Subject

Authorship and Research Ethics

Since the pressure to get into indexed journals is strong, research integrity deserves extra attention. Scopus and Web of Science journals are screening ever more often for:

• Authorship — each listed author has to have made a contribution, and adding or selling author places counts as misconduct.
• Similarity — reusing wording from your own or other people’s work without citing it results in rejection or retraction.
• Ethics approval — research involving human participants or animals requires approval and consent statements.
• Paper mills — manuscripts purchased from outside parties are identified and retracted, occasionally after many years.

A retraction by an indexed journal harms a career much more than taking a slower path to publication does.

Getting Your Paper Ready for an Indexed Journal

Placing a paper in an indexed journal comes down to fit, clarity and rigour rather than the headline metric. Steps that help:

• Filter on scope first; the metric comes next.
• Make the framing stronger with a clear research question, an explicit contribution statement and honestly reported limitations.
• Apply the official template and the reference style to the letter — it conveys care.
• Team up with co-authors elsewhere, in your country or another, wherever their expertise helps; international collaboration tends to raise visibility as well.

Frequent Mistakes With Indexed Journals

• Accepting a displayed logo on the journal's front page without consulting the database record.
• Not saying which index — “Web of Science” might mean SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI.
• Missing a discontinuation — indexing valid last year may have stopped.
• Choosing only by a metric — a journal that does not cover your field will reject the paper fast.

Practical Tips for Iraqi Authors Choosing Indexed Journals

Researchers in Iraq often work across Arabic and English and across fast-changing institutional requirements. These habits help you pick an indexed journal calmly and avoid costly detours before you submit.

• Record the proof, not the claim. When a journal says it is indexed, save a dated screenshot of the official database record. A saved record protects you if your department later asks how you confirmed the status.
• Match the title carefully. Several journals share similar names, and some Arabic-language titles have transliterated English twins. Compare the exact title, publisher and ISSN on the database record with the journal's own website.
• Write abstracts for international readers. Even if your data come from local hospitals, universities or ministries, state the setting, method and limits plainly in English so a reviewer elsewhere can judge the work without regional background.
• Agree contributions with co-authors. Before drafting, settle who designs, analyses and writes, and in what author order. Early agreement prevents disputes during revision, when deadlines are tight and goodwill matters most.
• Keep your data organised. Store raw files, survey instruments and analysis scripts in clearly named folders with a short description. Reviewers sometimes request them, and tidy records make a prompt reply easy.

Verify the journal from official records, document what you found, and prepare the manuscript for readers who do not know your local context.

Questions Researchers Often Ask

Summary and What to Do Next

Only a few Iraqi journals are indexed, and their status can change. Confirm present coverage before submitting, and look abroad for the broadest choice.

1. Look at your requirement and see if it speaks of a quartile, an index, Web of Science or Scopus.
2. Choose candidate journals for your field using the tables above together with international databases.
3. Check each title by its ISSN and keep a record of what you find.
4. Look at the list of research journals in Iraq if you want options that are not indexed.

References and Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026. Indexing status can change, so confirm it before submitting.

• SCImago journal rankings — Iraq
• University of Baghdad — IJAS enters Scopus (2017)
• Iraqi Journal of Science
• Iraqi Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Scopus Sources
• Clarivate Master Journal List
• ISSN Portal
• SCImago Journal & Country Rank
• Journal Citation Reports