Scopus & Web of Science Open Access Journals: Complete 2026 Guide
Have you ever been stopped by an Article Processing Charge (APC) that is too high? Many scholars would love to have their articles indexed, cited, and available freely without spending thousands on such expenses.
Many reputable Scopus and Web of Science indexed open access journals provide ethical publishing opportunities with free or affordable Article Processing Charges (APCs), depending on their funding model. This guide explains how to identify reliable open access journals, understand APC policies, and publish ethically in 2026.
What Are Scopus & Web of Science Open Access Journals?
Scopus and Web of Science are among the world’s leading multidisciplinary citation databases used to evaluate journals, researchers, and scholarly impact. If a journal is indexed in these databases, it has met established editorial and quality standards and is subject to ongoing evaluation. In Web of Science, you’ll find the following sub-indices for assessment:
- SCIE – Science Citation Index Expanded
- SSCI – Social Sciences Citation Index
- AHCI – Arts & Humanities Citation Index
- ESCI – Emerging Sources Citation Index
Types of Open Access Publishing Models
- Gold OA – Articles are freely available immediately after publication, while authors usually pay an APC.
- Green OA – Your article is published in a subscription-based journal, but you can deposit an accepted version in a repository.
- Diamond/Platinum OA – No fees to readers or authors, funded by universities, societies, or governments.
- Hybrid OA – Subscription journals that allow authors to make individual articles openly accessible by paying an APC. These fees are often higher than fully open access journals.
Are All Open Access Journals Expensive?
No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions among researchers. A significant number of Scopus and Web of Science indexed journals follow low-cost or no-APC publishing models, especially those supported by universities, societies, or research institutions.
This guide presents a curated list of 134 open access journal options across 17 research disciplines. Researchers should verify the latest indexing status and APC details before submission.
- Aerospace Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering
- Business & Management, Finance, Education, Library & Information Sciences
- Arts & Humanities, English Literature, Law (even specific Indian Law journals)
- Mathematics & Statistics, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Multidisciplinary journals
Several journals in this directory are ranked in the prestigious Q1 quartile.
Journal | Quartile | Indexing | Discipline |
Global Energy Interconnection | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Aerospace Engineering |
Int. J. of Interactive Multimedia & AI | Q1 | Scopus | Computer Science |
Journal of Management Science and Engineering | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Business & Management |
Energy and Built Environment | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Civil Engineering |
Visual Computing for Industry, Biomedicine & Art | Q1 | Scopus | Arts & Humanities |
The conclusion is clear:
- Higher APCs don’t mean higher quality.
- Zero APCs do not mean predatory or “cheap” journals.
- Prestige and APCs are different factors — and they can be maximised simultaneously.
How to Choose the Right Scopus or Web of Science Open Access Journal
Finding the best journal is a process of matching, not gambling. Here is the checklist before submission:
- Verify the journal’s current indexing status through the official Scopus Sources database and Web of Science Master Journal List before submission.
- Identify the quartile (Q1-Q4) within your field for its impact and competitive level.
- The scope must match the research. It makes no sense to send an outstanding paper to the wrong journal.
- Review APC policies, waiver options, and publication fees before submission.
- Red flags of predatory journals are described below.
If choosing among several dozen journals seems difficult, we have a solution in the form of journal publication services and our Q1 journal help.
What Trends Are Transforming Open Access Publishing in 2026?
The process of open access publishing is changing quickly, bringing both new possibilities and new obligations for researchers.
AI Ethics in Publishing
Journals increasingly use AI-assisted tools for plagiarism screening, image integrity checks, peer-review support, and research integrity monitoring. Authors are also expected to disclose significant AI assistance according to journal policies.
Higher Standards of Ethical Data Management
Ethical data management has become increasingly important, including informed consent, anonymization, data sharing, and compliance with applicable privacy regulations and ethical research standards, including GDPR where relevant.
Increasing Number of Diamond Journals
Increased institutional and government funding has led to the growth of Diamond Open Access journals that charge no APCs.
How Do You Avoid Predatory Journals?
A predatory journal presents itself as a legitimate scholarly journal to make money without any peer-review process. Here is how you can avoid being scammed:
- Avoid guaranteed acceptance and suspiciously quick “peer review.”
- Verify the journal’s ISSN, indexing status, and publisher details through official databases and journal titles with those listed in Scopus and Web of Science.
- Be careful about unsolicited email invitations and misleading or fake impact factor claims.
- Look for the presence of verifiable editorial board members and their affiliations.
If you are unsure, getting a second opinion from our experts will be much cheaper than the retraction of the paper.
The Complete Directory: 134 Open Access Journals by Discipline
The complete directory of open access journals mentioned in this guide – a total of 134 open access journals in 17 disciplines that are indexed in Scopus and/or Web of Science (SCIE, SCI, ESCI, AHCI). The APC status is either Yes (free of charge), an indicated amount, or Verify (check on the publisher’s website by ISSN for the exact cost and open access policy).
After selecting your target from below, we will be able to assist you in preparing your manuscript according to the journal guidelines.
Note: Journal indexing status, quartile ranking, and APC policies may change. Always verify details using official databases before submission.
| S.No | Journal | Publisher | ISSN | Quartile | Indexing | APC Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | ||||||
| 1 | Aviation | Vilnius Gediminas Technical University | 1822-4180 | Q3 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 2 | Fatigue of Aircraft Structures | Walter de Gruyter | 2300-7591 | Q4 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 3 | Global Energy Interconnection | KeAi Communications Co | 2590-0358 | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 4 | International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | 2374-6793 | Q3 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 5 | Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport | Silesian University of Technology | 2450-1549 | Q3 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| Artificial Intelligence | ||||||
| 6 | Computer Science | AGH University of Science and Technology Press | 2300-7036 | Q3 | Scopus, SCI | Yes |
| 7 | Cybernetics and Physics | Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering, RAS | 2226-4116 | Q3 | Scopus, SCI | Yes |
| 8 | Foundations of Computing and Decision Sciences | Walter de Gruyter | 2300-3405 | Q2 | Scopus, SCI | Yes |
| 9 | Inteligencia Artificial | Asociación Española de Inteligencia Artificial | 1988-3064 | Q3 | Scopus, SCI | Yes |
| 10 | International Journal of Automation and Smart Technology | Chinese Institute of Automation Engineers | 2223-9766 | Q4 | Scopus, SCI | Yes |
| 11 | Journal of Advanced Computational Intelligence and Intelligent Informatics | Fuji Technology Press | 1883-8014 | Q3 | Scopus, SCI | Yes |
| Arts & Humanities | ||||||
| 12 | Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary | AIQUA | 2279-7335 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 13 | Interiority | Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia | 2615-3386 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 14 | International Journal of Food Design | Intellect Publishers | 2056-6530 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 15 | On the W@terfront | Universitat de Barcelona | 1139-7365 | Q2 | Scopus | Yes |
| 16 | SPAFA Journal | SEAMEO SPAFA | 2586-8721 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 17 | Visual Computing for Industry, Biomedicine, and Art | Springer Nature | 2524-4442 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| Business & Management | ||||||
| 18 | Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal | University of Wollongong | 1834-2019 | Q2 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 19 | European Journal of Family Business | Universidad de Málaga | 2444-877X | Q2 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 20 | International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management | Universidade do Minho | 2182-7788 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 21 | Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation | Cognitione Foundation | 2299-7326 | Q2 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 22 | Journal of Evolutionary Studies in Business | Universitat de Barcelona | 2385-7137 | Q3 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 23 | Journal of Management Science and Engineering | KeAi Communications Co. | 2589-5532 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| Civil Engineering | ||||||
| 24 | Civil Engineering Infrastructures Journal | University of Tehran | 2423-6691 | Q3 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 25 | Energy and Built Environment | KeAi Communications Co. | 2666-1233 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 26 | Journal of Hydroinformatics | IWA Publishing | 1465-1734 | Q2 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 27 | Journal of Information Technology in Construction | International Council for Research and Innovation in Building | 1874-4753 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| Computer Science | ||||||
| 28 | Big Data Mining and Analytics | Tsinghua University Press | 2097-406X | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 29 | IACR Transactions on Symmetric Cryptology | Ruhr-University of Bochum | 2519-173X | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 30 | International Journal of Data and Network Science | Growing Science | 2561-8156 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 31 | International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence | Universidad Internacional de la Rioja | 1989-1660 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 32 | Journal of Universal Computer Science | Technische Universitat Graz | 0948-6968 | Q3 | Scopus | Yes |
| 33 | Logical Methods in Computer Science | Logical Methods in Computer Science | 1860-5974 | Q2 | Scopus | Yes |
| Education | ||||||
| 34 | Dialogic Pedagogy | University Library System, University of Pittsburgh | 2325-3290 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 35 | Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education | Universitas Negeri Semarang | 2541-2426 | Q1 | Scopus | 200 USD |
| 36 | Informatics in Education | Vilnius Univ, Inst Mathematics & Informatics | 2335-8971 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 37 | Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research | Urmia University | 2322-1291 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 38 | Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions | Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute | 1975-5937 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 39 | Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning | Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education | 1793-7078 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| Electrical Engineering | ||||||
| 40 | International Journal of Microwave and Optical Technology | IAMOT | 1553-0396 | Q4 | Scopus, SCI | Verify |
| 41 | Journal of Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging | IMAPS-International Microelectronics and Packaging Society | 1555-8037 | Q3 | Scopus, SCI | Verify |
| 42 | Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials, Rapid Communications | National Institute of Optoelectronics | 2065-3824 | Q4 | Scopus, SCI | Verify |
| 43 | Recent Advances in Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Bentham Science Publishers | 2352-0973 | Q3 | Scopus, SCI | Verify |
| 44 | Serbian Journal of Electrical Engineering | University of Kragujevac Faculty of Technical Sciences | 2217-7183 | Q3 | Scopus, SCI | Verify |
| English Literature | ||||||
| 45 | Anales Cervantinos | CSIC Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas | 1988-8325 | Q2 | Scopus, AHCI | Yes |
| 46 | Asian Studies | University of Ljubljana Press | 2350-4226 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 47 | OCNOS | Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha | 2254-9099 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 48 | Revista de Literatura | CSIC Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas | 1988-4192 | Q2 | Scopus, AHCI | Yes |
| 49 | Studia Litterarum | Russian Academy of Sciences - A.M. Gorky Institute | 2541-8564 | Q2 | Scopus, AHCI | Yes |
| 50 | Studies in English Language and Education | Syiah Kuala University | 2461-0275 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| Finance | ||||||
| 51 | Accounting Review | American Accounting Association | 1558-7967 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 52 | American Economic Journal: Economic Policy | American Economic Association | 1945-774X | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 53 | American Economic Journal: Microeconomics | American Economic Association | 1945-7685 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 54 | Contemporary Accounting Research | John Wiley & Sons | 1911-3846 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 55 | Experimental Economics | Cambridge University Press | 1573-6938 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 56 | Finance Research Letters | Elsevier | 1544-6131 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 57 | IMF Economic Review | Springer Nature | 2041-417X | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 58 | International Business Review | Elsevier | 0969-5931 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 59 | Journal of Accounting Research | John Wiley & Sons | 1475-679X | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 60 | Journal of Accounting and Economics | Elsevier | 0165-4101 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 61 | Journal of Corporate Finance | Elsevier | 0929-1199 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 62 | Journal of Economic History | Cambridge University Press | 1471-6372 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 63 | Journal of Financial Intermediation | Elsevier | 1096-0473 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 64 | Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis | Cambridge University Press | 1756-6916 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 65 | Journal of International Economics | Elsevier | 1873-0353 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 66 | Journal of Management | SAGE | 1557-1211 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 67 | Journal of Monetary Economics | Elsevier | 0304-3932 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 68 | Journal of Public Economics | Elsevier | 0047-2727 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 69 | Journal of Risk and Uncertainty | Springer Nature | 1573-0476 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 70 | Journal of Supply Chain Management | John Wiley & Sons | 1745-493X | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 71 | Journal of World Business | Elsevier | 1090-9516 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 72 | Journal of the European Economic Association | John Wiley & Sons | 1542-4766 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 73 | Long Range Planning | Elsevier | 1873-1872 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 74 | Review of Finance | Oxford University Press | 1573-692X | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 75 | Socio-Economic Review | Oxford University Press | 1475-1461 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| 76 | Structural Equation Modeling | Wolters Kluwer Health | 1532-8007 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Verify |
| Indian Law journals | ||||||
| 77 | Indian Journal of Law and Justice | University of North Bengal | 0976-3570 | Q3 | Scopus | Verify |
| 78 | Indian Law Review | Taylor & Francis | 2473-0599 | Q3 | Scopus | Verify |
| 79 | International Journal on Consumer Law and Practice | National Law School of India University | 2347-2731 | Q4 | Scopus | Verify |
| 80 | Journal of Forensic Medicine Science and Law | Medicolegal Association of Maharashtra | 2277-8853 | Q3 | Scopus | Verify |
| 81 | Journal of Forensic Science and Medicine | Wolters Kluwer Health | 2455-0094 | Q3 | Scopus | Verify |
| 82 | Journal of Intellectual Property Rights | NISCAIR | 0975-1076 | Q2 | Scopus | Verify |
| Law | ||||||
| 83 | Artificial Intelligence and Law | Springer Nature | 1572-8382 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Yes |
| 84 | Contemporary Southeastern Europe | University of Graz | 2310-3612 | Q2 | Scopus | Yes |
| 85 | European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context | Colegio Oficial de la Psicología de Madrid | 1989-4007 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Yes |
| 86 | Journal of International Economic Law | Oxford University Press | 1464-3758 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Yes |
| 87 | Journal of Law and the Biosciences | Oxford University Press | 2053-9711 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Yes |
| 88 | Journal of Legal Analysis | Oxford University Press | 1946-5319 | Q1 | Scopus, SSCI | Yes |
| 89 | Journal of Legal Studies | University of Chicago Press | 1537-5366 | Q2 | Scopus, SSCI | Yes |
| 90 | Perspectives on Federalism | Centro Studi Sul Federalismo | 2036-5438 | Q4 | Scopus | Yes |
| 91 | Pravni Zapisi | Faculty of Law, Union University in Belgrade | 2406-1387 | Q4 | Scopus | Yes |
| 92 | Revista Derecho del Estado | Universidad Externado de Colombia | 2346-2051 | Q3 | Scopus | Yes |
| 93 | Sriwijaya Law Review | Sriwijaya University | 2541-6464 | Q2 | Scopus | Yes |
| 94 | UUM Journal of Legal Studies | Universiti Utara Malaysia Press | 0127-9483 | Q2 | Scopus | Yes |
| Library & Info Sciences | ||||||
| 95 | Biblios | University Library System, University of Pittsburgh | 1562-4730 | Q4 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 96 | Evidence Based Library and Information Practice | University of Alberta | 1715-720X | Q3 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 97 | JLIS.it | Università di Firenze | 2038-1026 | Q2 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 98 | Journal of Library and Information Studies | National Taiwan University | 2309-9119 | Q3 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 99 | Publications | MDPI | 2304-6775 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| Mathematics & Statics | ||||||
| 100 | Annual Review of Statistics and Its Application | Annual Reviews Inc. | 2326-831X | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 101 | Bayesian Analysis | International Society for Bayesian Analysis | 1931-6690 | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 102 | Environmetrics | John Wiley & Sons | 1099-095X | Q3 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 103 | Journal of Time Series Analysis | John Wiley & Sons | 1467-9892 | Q3 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 104 | Lifetime Data Analysis | Springer Nature | 1572-9249 | Q2 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 105 | Spatial Statistics | Elsevier | 2211-6753 | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| Medicine | ||||||
| 106 | Advances in Laboratory Medicine | Walter de Gruyter | 2628-491X | Q3 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 107 | Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine | Korean Society of Emergency Medicine | 2383-4625 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 108 | Emergency and Critical Care Medicine | Emergency and Critical Care Medicine | 2693-860X | Q3 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 109 | International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine | Shaheed Beheshti University | 2251-8770 | Q4 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 110 | Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine | Wolters Kluwer Health | 2452-2473 | Q2 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 111 | World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine | Wolters Kluwer Health | 2589-2894 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| Multidisciplinary | ||||||
| 112 | ASM Science Journal | Akademi Sains Malaysia | 1823-6782 | Q3 | Scopus | Yes |
| 113 | Data in Brief | Elsevier | 2352-3409 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 114 | European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies | Bucharest University of Economic Studies | 2067-3795 | Q2 | Scopus | Yes |
| 115 | European Journal of STEM Education | Lectito | 2468-4368 | Q1 | Scopus | Yes |
| 116 | Fundamental Research | KeAi Communications Co. | 2667-3258 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 117 | Innovation | Elsevier | 2666-6758 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 118 | Journal of Advanced Research | Elsevier | 2090-1224 | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Verify |
| 119 | Journal of Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran | University of Tehran | 1016-1104 | Q3 | Scopus | Yes |
| 120 | Karbala International Journal of Modern Science | University of Kerbala | 2405-6103 | Q2 | Scopus | Yes |
| 121 | Scientific African | Elsevier | 2468-2276 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 122 | Universitas Scientiarum | Pontificia Universidad Javeriana | 2027-1352 | Q3 | Scopus | Yes |
| 123 | iScience | Elsevier | 2589-0042 | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Verify |
| Pharmacy | ||||||
| 124 | ADMET and DMPK | International Association of Physical Chemists | 1848-7718 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 125 | Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin | Tabriz University of Medical Sciences | 2251-7308 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 126 | Bangladesh Journal of Pharmacology | Bangladesh Pharmacological Society | 1991-0088 | Q4 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 127 | BioImpacts | Tabriz University of Medical Sciences | 2228-5660 | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 128 | Drug Target Insights | AboutScience Srl | 1177-3928 | Q2 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 129 | Indonesian Journal of Pharmacy | Universitas Gadjah Mada - Faculty of Pharmacy | 2338-9486 | Q3 | Scopus, ESCI | Verify |
| 130 | Journal of Psychedelic Studies | Akademiai Kiado | 2559-9283 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 131 | Pharmaceutical Sciences | Tabriz University of Medical Sciences | 2383-2886 | Q1 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 132 | Pharmacy Practice | Centro de Investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmacéuticas | 1886-3655 | Q2 | Scopus, ESCI | Yes |
| 133 | Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease | SAGE | 2040-6231 | Q1 | Scopus, SCIE | Yes |
| 134 | Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety | SAGE | 2042-0994 | Q2 | Scopus, SCIE | Verify |
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