Often scientists have a question: “Which quartile journal to choose for publishing a scientific article?”. Today we will help to find the answer to this question.
Publication of a scientific article is an important stage in the life of every scientist, researcher and scholar. It is necessary for obtaining scientific titles and degrees, submitting annual reports, reporting on grants, career advancement and so on. One of the key criteria for selecting a journal for publication is its quartile, which determines a journal's level of influence in its field. In this article, let's look at how to choose a journal with an appropriate quartile and what that means for a scholar.
What is a journal's quartile?
The quartile of a journal (Q) is a value, indicator, category that characterises the category of a scientific publication, where the main feature is the number of citations reflecting the journal's activity, as well as the interest of the scientific community in it.
How is the quartile defined?
Web of Science: Impact Factor. This indicator is determined based on the number of citations of a journal's articles in one year that were published in the previous two years, according to Journal Citation Reports (JCR). Impact factor is provided to journals included in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) for natural and technical sciences and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) for social sciences.
Scopus: SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). This indicator is calculated over a three-year period and is more complex than the impact factor, as it takes into account not only the citation of articles, but also the authority of the publication and its relevance to the subject.
According to the quartile, journals are divided into 4 groups:
- Q1 (first quartile) – the highest level, includes the most influential journals
- Q2 (second quartile) – high quality journals of high level
- Q3 (third quartile) – the golden mean, including well-known and professional publications
- Q4 (fourth quartile) – journals with low citations but accessible to young scholars
How to choose a quartile?
- Publication goals. If the goal is to make a name for yourself internationally, you should focus on Q1 or Q2 journals. For a start in academia, Q3 journals may be appropriate.
- Journal topic. It is important that the research is relevant to the field that the journal covers. Even the highest quartile does not guarantee success if the work does not match the thematic focus.
- Requirements of grants or academic institutions. Sometimes the choice of quartile is determined by the conditions for funding the research or the requirements for the thesis defence.
- Level of competition. Q1-Q2 journals have high requirements and a long peer review process. If an article needs to be published quickly, it is better to consider lower quartile journals.
Why is the quartile of the journal important?
Quartile plays an important role in the perception of a publication in the scientific community. Articles in Q1-Q2 journals usually have a higher probability of being cited and used in future research. For young scientists, publication in Q3 journals is an important starting point for further professional development. Publishing in Q4 journals can also be a good start to a research career, but it should be borne in mind that such papers are often less well recognised and have a lower probability of being highly cited.
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