Title: International Journal of Reconfigurable and Embedded Systems
ISSN / E-ISSN: 2089-4864 / 2722-2608
Publisher: Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science
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Dear The Scopus Team and Scopus CSAB,

Please forgive us if we are forced to appeal. The results of the re-evaluation of our journal appear to be recklessly detrimental to our future. The decision does not provide our journal with the opportunity to grow and develop, which would enable it to continue contributing to the advancement of science in the future.

Scopus just accepted our journal for indexing on Aug 27, 2021. The comments at that time were
- Please ensure gender neutrality, e.g.  Promptness. Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.

- The section entitled: Focus and Scope is far too detailed on that level individual topics will be for sure missed. You may wish to aggregate to a higher level to capture more and allow for a better read.

One example of a factual error is "There are two authors who combined have contributed 24 publications to the journal!" The correct statement is that Suriyan and Alagarsamy together have not contributed 24 publications, since Suriyan co-authored 11 of Alagarsamy's 13 papers. Therefore, the two authors collectively contributed a total of only 13 papers, not 24. 

Please refer to the attached files for the appeal and supporting data.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

Editors, International Journal of Reconfigurable and Embedded Systems

Paolo Crippa, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy
Tole Sutikno, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Indonesia
Selvakumar Manickam, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

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[Factual Error #1]: The journal has a fairly limited number of cited articles (31%) and of these many are cited infrequently and then, see below, there is a lack of internationality in those.

Publisher Response: The actual data (Appendix 1) contradicts the allegation that only 31% of the journal's articles receive citations. In fact, only 8.9% of articles published in IJRES from 2021 to 2024 remain uncited, meaning that over 91% have received at least one citation. This achievement amply illustrates the active citation of the journal's content within the academic community, its significant scholarly impact, and ongoing its relevance.

[Factual Error #2]: The journal has drifted to a more regional journal with 3/4 of the papers coming from two countries.

Publisher Response: Contrary to the allegation of 3/4 (75%), only approximately 62% of the articles come from India and Indonesia. The journal still demonstrates a degree of international contribution from 27 other countries, including the USA, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, and Bangladesh (Appendix 2). This evidence confirms that IJRES maintains a globally diverse author base, countering the perception that it has drifted into a solely regional scope.

[Factual Error #3]: There are two authors who combined have contributed 24! publications to the journal!.

Publisher Response: The allegation of 24 publications is inaccurate. Suriyan co-authored 11 of Alagarsamy's 13 papers. Therefore, the two authors collectively contributed a total of 13 papers only (Appendix 3), NOT 24 papers. The distribution of these papers is as follows: 4 in 2022, 6 in 2023, and 3 in 2024. This arrangement of papers even spread over three years reflects the journal’s adherence to authorship control and prevents any excessive dominance by individual contributors.

[Factual Error #4]: Furthermore, many of the citations come from 2 publishers Seventh Sense Research Group and Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science.

Publisher Response: Regarding the allegation that most citations come from Seventh Sense Research Group and IAES, this assertion is inaccurate. While many citations come from IAES and IEEE, this journal articles have been cited by papers from 69 different publishers and institutions (Appendix 4), including Elsevier, Springer, MDPI, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis—indicating wide academic reach. Furthermore, given this journal's emphasis on reconfigurable and embedded systems, we anticipate citations from IAES and IEEE based on subject relevance, not reliance.

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From: <re-evaluation@scopus.com>
Date: Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Subject: The re-evaluation of "International Journal of Reconfigurable and Embedded Systems" for Scopus is complete
To: <ijres@iaesjournal.com>

Dear Selvakumar Manickam,

The title mentioned above has been re-evaluated by the Scopus Content Selection & Advisory Board to determine whether the title meets the content selection standards of Scopus today. The re-evaluation of this title is now complete and it was decided to discontinue the indexing of this title in Scopus. 

For your information, the reason for making this decision is:

The journal has a fairly limited number of cited articles (31%) and of these many are cited infrequently and then, see below, there is a lack of internationality in those. The scope of the journal would indicate a wide international appeal. In reality, however, the journal has drifted to a more regional journal with 3/4 of the papers coming from two countries. There are two authors who combined have contributed 24! publications to the journal!. Furthermore, many of the citations come from 2 publishers Seventh Sense Research Group and Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. We would encourage the journal to widen its authorship and international appeal as the area is clearly not restricted to a region of the world. It has been decided to discontinue Scopus indexing.

As a consequence, Scopus has stopped coverage of International Journal of Reconfigurable and Embedded Systems. In some cases, Scopus may have decided to already stop coverage at an earlier stage. In general, all previously indexed content will remain in the Scopus database.

If applicable, we ask you to remove all promotion of your title stating that it is actively indexed in Scopus.

You are free to resubmit this journal for CSAB evaluation again in 5 years time via the Scopus Title Suggestion Form. At that time, you will be required to upload a cover letter addressing the issues raised above, however this will not guarantee that the journal will be accepted for Scopus.

For more information about the Scopus Re-evaluation initiative, please visit the Scopus information site, or Scopus blog.

Yours sincerely,
The Scopus Team

Self-citation in academic publishing is a complex issue that can have a significant impact on how people perceive scholarly work. Institutional frameworks may unintentionally encourage authors to cite themselves, reducing the value of their work. This raises concerns about academic integrity and the possibility of technical plagiarism. Researchers should consider why authors self-cite and promote honesty in scholarly communication in order to reduce self-citation and increase credibility. Authors should exercise caution when citing their own work, particularly if they write for the same publisher. This can raise concerns about academic integrity and result in biased research dissemination. Avoiding self-citation not only improves the credibility of their work, but it also encourages a more comprehensive engagement with a larger body of scholarship. Understanding proper citation techniques strengthens an author's adherence to ethical scholarly practices. Navigating the nuances of academic citation practices is critical for scholars seeking integrity and clarity in their work. Over-reliance on one's own publications may unintentionally indicate a lack of interaction with the broader scholarly community. Scholars from various backgrounds may face unique challenges in understanding academic integrity conventions, particularly those involving self-referential citations. To maintain objectivity and credibility, authors should use a strategic approach when referencing their own work. Overreliance on previous papers can give the impression of self-validation and reduce the impact of research within the larger academic discourse. As a result, authors should avoid citing their published papers from this publisher whenever possible in the future.