Dear Bassmah Altaher Be careful with this one.

First of all, the ‘mystery’ of the 2022 matter is quite easy. Until 2022 the publisher was De Gruyter https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/esic/html Since 2022 it is “Raiya Academic International LLC” see for example https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/issue/archive According to https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101016800 this journal “Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture” is indeed Scopus indexed.

However, looking at ‘Scopus content coverage’ https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101016800#tabs=2 the indexing stopped in 2022!

I see more disturbing things:

-They (both Scopus and De Gruyter) mention “The Netherlands press BV” This is misleading because this suggest a location in the Netherlands but in fact it is India When looking at https://www.kvk.nl/zoeken/ and insert (KVK number) 86933108 I suspect this Netherlands press BV is a so-called “empty BV” I think it was a very irresponsible move from De Gruyter to sell this respected journal to such a dubious (new) player

-The previous editorial board https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/esic/html#editorial is replaced by an entire new one https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/about/editorialTeam I suspect nobody mentioned here is aware of this. For example this journal is not mentioned here https://www.uva.nl/profiel/f/o/c.j.forceville/c.j.forceville.html?cb#Nevenwerkzaamheden or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Miller_(psychologist) who is a specialist in evolutionary psychology

-Since 2024 they accept and publish a staggering number of papers (in the hundreds instead of the usual 20-40 papers annually) AND nowadays they publish fully unrelated papers, see for example:

https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/article/view/756

https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/article/view/762

https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/article/view/767

https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/article/view/891

https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/article/view/960

https://esiculture.com/index.php/esiculture/article/view/1124

-They charge 1200 USD meaning that with more than 800 published papers these fraudsters already ‘earned’ over a million dollars (big business)

I think this is a predatory journal or perhaps it is better to call it the hijacked version of a journal that used to be legit and genuine. Pretty sure this one will be discontinued. Update 18-02-2025: in the meantime discontinued in Scopus.

Personally I would avoid this one.

Best regards.

• Verify Scopus Indexing: Scopus maintains an official list of indexed journals. You can search for "Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture" in the Scopus Source List to confirm its inclusion.
• Check Publication Records: If the journal is indexed from 2017 to 2025, but the latest articles in Scopus are from 2022, it may indicate a delay in indexing recent publications. Such delays can occur due to processing times between the journal and Scopus.
• Assess Journal Legitimacy:Publisher Information: The journal is published by Raiya Academic International LLC, based in Dover, USA. You can visit their official website to review their editorial board, submission guidelines, and publication ethics. Editorial Board: A reputable journal typically has a diverse and qualified editorial board. Review the board members' credentials and affiliations. Peer-Review Process: Ensure the journal follows a rigorous peer-review process, which is a hallmark of credible academic publications.
• Consult Beall's List: While the journal isn't listed on Beall's list of potential predatory publishers, it's essential to exercise caution. Beall's list is not exhaustive, and the absence of a journal from the list doesn't guarantee its legitimacy.
• Seek Community Feedback: Engage with academic peers or consult forums like the Scholarly Kitchen or the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) for insights and reviews about the journal.

To verify if a journal is indexed in Scopus:

Since 2023, Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture has been hijacked. It is strongly advised not to submit manuscripts to this journal anymore.