The goal of almost every scientist is to publish in a reputable scientific journal. However, in the process of selecting a suitable publication, considerable attention should be paid to the journal's scientometric indicators. One of the key tools for assessing the authority of journals is quartiles. In this article we will explain what these indicators are, how they are calculated and why they are important for researchers.
Quartiles of scientific journals: what are they?
Quartile – is a category that reflects the position of a scientific journal in the ranking within a certain subject area. Journals are ranked according to scientometric indicators, after which the entire list is divided into four equal groups. It allows to evaluate the citation and scientific impact of a publication in comparison with other journals in the same field.
Types of quartiles:
- Q1 - journals that belong to the first, the highest quartile (the top 25% of journals with the highest scores);
- Q2 - journals in the second quartile (between 25% and 50% in ranking);
- Q3 - third quartile journals (50% to 75% in ranking);
- Q4 - fourth quartile journals (bottom 25% of the ranking).
How are journal quartiles determined?
Quartiles are determined by the most authoritative international science-metric databases, including Scopus and Web of Science. Each of these platforms has its own approach to ranking.
- Web of Science – uses the impact factor to analyse journals, which is published in Journal Citation Reports (JCR). This indicator is calculated as the ratio of the number of citations of articles published in a journal in the previous two years to the total number of articles published in that journal during the same period.
- Scopus – uses the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) indicator, which takes into account not only the number of citations, but also the authority of citation sources.
It is important to note that the same journal may have different quartiles in different subject areas and in different databases. This is due to the fact that each discipline has its own peculiarities of citation, and the methods of calculating indicators in WoS and Scopus are different.
The role of quartiles in scientific activity
It is worth noting that quartiles have a number of advantages for scientists, scientific organisations and higher education institutions alike. Below we will look at exactly how this indicator helps in scientific activity.
For scientists:
- Selecting a journal for publication. The quartile of a journal is one of the key criteria when choosing a journal to publish scientific results. Articles in high quartile journals (Q1, Q2) usually have greater visibility and citations.
- Career progression. Many academic institutions and foundations take journal quartiles into account when evaluating the scientific productivity of researchers. Publishing in highly ranked journals can have a positive impact on grant awards or career advancement.
- International collaboration. Publishing in high quartile journals can attract the attention of the international scientific community and facilitate the establishment of new scientific links.
For research organisations and universities:
- Evaluating research performance. Many universities and research centres pay attention to the quartiles of journals in which their staff make publications. In this way, they determine the level of their publication activity.
- University rankings. Publications in high quartile journals influence the position of universities in international rankings such as QS World University Rankings, THE World University Rankings and others.
- Funding. In some countries, government funding of scientific organisations may depend on the publication activity of their staff, including publications in high quartile journals.
Quartiles of scientific journals is an effective tool that allows to determine the level of influence of journals. However, it is necessary to take a comprehensive approach to the search process, taking into account not only quartiles but also other aspects, in order not to get hooked by predatory journals.
To simplify the publication process and choose a journal with a suitable quartile, contact "Scientific Publications". Our experts will accompany you at all stages of publication and guarantee to help you with the publication of your scientific article. Want to get a free consultation? Fill out the form below and our manager will contact you as soon as possible. Together to scientific achievements!
