Qualitative Advancement of University of Birjand Scientific Journals: 10 Journals Ranked “A” and Two Indexed in Scopus

Dr. Marzieh Saghebjoo, Vice-President for Research, Technology and Innovation at the University of Birjand, announced a significant qualitative improvement in the university’s scientific journals. Ten journals have achieved an “A” ranking, and two journals have been successfully indexed in the international Scopus database—an achievement described as a fundamental step toward realizing the university’s Strategic Document with a 2029 horizon.

According to the University of Birjand Public Relations Office, Dr. Saghebjoo stated that coherent planning has strengthened the university’s scientific authority and enhanced the qualitative indicators of its journals at regional, national, and international levels.

She noted that specialized monitoring and evaluation of the journals began in September 2024 under the direct leadership of the Vice-Presidency. In line with the university’s Strategic Vision Document for 2029, particularly the strategy of “enhancing international reputation and credibility,” indexing journals in reputable global databases such as Scopus was set as a top priority. In the first two years of the program, annual targets were met: the journal *Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences* was indexed in Scopus in November 2024, and the journal *Saffron Research* was indexed at the beginning of October this year. As a result, a total of three university journals are now indexed in Scopus. Continuous monitoring for the standardization of other eligible journals is ongoing.

Referring to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology’s 2025 evaluation and comparing it with 2024 performance, Dr. Saghebjoo said the results reflect a meaningful leap in the quality of scientific output. Of the 16 university journals assessed in 2025, 10 (more than 62 percent) achieved an “A” ranking, indicating that the university has successfully moved beyond basic standards into the ranks of top-tier journals.

She highlighted specific improvements: Journal of Geomine, which held a “B” ranking in 2024, attained an excellent “A” ranking in 2025. The journal Tectonics also improved from a “D” to a “C” ranking. In addition, the strong standing of journals such as Journal of Horticulture and Postharvest Research, Water Harvesting Research, Saffron Research, Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences, Drought and Climate Change Research, Village and Sustainable Spatial Development, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature, Arts and Humanities, Green Development Management Studies, and Applied Studies of Biological Sciences in Sport has been maintained at the “A” level, demonstrating consistency in peer-review standards and regular scientific publication.

Dr. Saghebjoo emphasized that the university’s improved standing in rankings is the result of the dedicated efforts of editors-in-chief, managing directors, and editorial board members. The Vice-Presidency has developed targeted support programs to further standardize peer-review processes and scientific content production, aiming to enable more university journals to reach national and international levels.

For more details, interested readers may visit the university’s journals website at https://journals.birjand.ac.ir/.