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Assigning different document types by Scopus for similar contents: an exploratory analysis

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  • Bakthavachalam Elango

    (Rajagiri College of Social Sciences
    Centre of Excellence in Journalology, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences)

Abstract

This study investigates the categorization of publications in the Scopus database, with a specific focus on items from the Indian multidisciplinary journal Current Science. Scopus classifies documents into 13 types, including articles, notes, editorials, and data papers. The research highlights significant instances of misclassification, particularly in the “In This Issue”, “Current Science Reports” and “Personal News”, those are all non-citable documents. A total of 249 records were analysed, revealing notable discrepancies, with a considerable number (83%) misclassified as citable documents. These findings underscore the need for improved classification standards in Scopus database to ensure the accurate representation of scientific contributions. The study is limited to a single journal, suggesting the need for broader investigations to validate these findings across different journals. This research contributes to the discourse on bibliographic integrity and the enhancement of document classification systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Bakthavachalam Elango, 2025. "Assigning different document types by Scopus for similar contents: an exploratory analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(3), pages 1989-2003, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:130:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-025-05270-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-025-05270-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ruimin Pei & Langqiu Li & Yiying Yang & Quan Zhou, 2024. "Co-evolution of international scientific mobility and international collaboration: a Scopus-based analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(7), pages 4353-4378, July.
    2. John P. A. Ioannidis & Thomas A. Collins & Jeroen Baas, 2024. "Evolving patterns of extreme publishing behavior across science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(9), pages 5783-5796, September.
    3. Guillermo Armando Ronda-Pupo, 2024. "The dynamics of Cuban international scientific collaboration: a scientometric analysis over a century," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(9), pages 5211-5226, September.
    4. Bakthavachalam Elango & Marcin Kozak & Periyaswamy Rajendran, 2019. "Analysis of retractions in Indian science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 119(2), pages 1081-1094, May.
    5. Paul Donner, 2017. "Document type assignment accuracy in the journal citation index data of Web of Science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 113(1), pages 219-236, October.
    6. N. Siva & P. Rajendran, 2023. "Retracted publications in BRICS countries: an analytical study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(12), pages 6313-6333, December.
    7. Anne-Wil Harzing, 2013. "Document categories in the ISI Web of Knowledge: Misunderstanding the Social Sciences?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 94(1), pages 23-34, January.
    8. Julián Espinosa-Giménez & Vanessa Paredes-Gallardo & María Dolores Gómez-Adrián & Carlos Bellot-Arcís & Verónica García-Sanz, 2023. "Scientific production of an oral implantology journal: a 5-year bibliometric study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(6), pages 3535-3554, June.
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