FAQ & Glossary

Impact Factor (IF) is calculated by Clarivate (Web of Science) using a 2-year citation window and treats all citations equally. SJR is calculated by SCImago (Scopus) and weights citations by the prestige of the citing journal — a citation from Nature counts more than one from a low-ranked journal. SJR is freely available, while IF requires a Web of Science subscription.

A Q1 journal ranks in the top 25% of all journals within its subject category. This is based on SJR scores. Q1 journals are considered the most prestigious and impactful in their field. Publishing in Q1 journals is highly valued for academic promotions and grant applications.

Check for these red flags: unsolicited email invitations, unrealistically fast peer review (24-48 hours), hidden fees, fake editorial boards, claims of fake impact metrics, poor website quality, and no indexing in Scopus or Web of Science. Use our Predatory Journal Checker tool for a quick assessment.

Neither is inherently "better" — they measure different aspects. SJR considers citation quality (prestige-weighted), while IF counts all citations equally. SJR is free and covers more journals (Scopus), while IF is behind a paywall (Web of Science). For a comprehensive view, consider both metrics along with H-Index and CiteScore.

SJR scores vary significantly by field. Generally: SJR > 1.0 is considered good in most fields, SJR > 2.0 is very good, and SJR > 5.0 is excellent. However, a medical journal with SJR 0.5 might be perfectly respectable, while a computer science journal with SJR 1.0 might be outstanding for that field.

H-Index depends heavily on the journal's age and field. A newer journal might have H-Index 20 and still be excellent, while an established journal could have H-Index 300+. Compare H-Index only within the same subject area and among journals of similar age.

Yes! A journal can be classified in multiple subject categories, and its quartile ranking may differ in each. For example, a journal could be Q1 in "Environmental Science" but Q2 in "Ecology." Always check the quartile for the specific category relevant to your research.

Open Access means your article is freely available to read without a subscription. OA increases visibility and citations but often requires an Article Processing Charge (APC). Diamond OA journals charge no APC. Choose OA if your funder requires it, you want maximum readership, or if your institution covers APC costs.

SCImago (SJR) updates annually, usually mid-year. Impact Factor is also updated annually by Clarivate. CiteScore is updated annually but has a CiteScore Tracker that updates monthly. Our database reflects the most recent available data from SCImago.

Scopus is the world's largest abstract and citation database, covering 27,000+ journals. Being Scopus-indexed means a journal has passed Scopus's quality evaluation. Many universities and funding agencies require publications in Scopus-indexed journals for academic promotions and grant eligibility.

Consider: 1) Scope and subject match, 2) Quartile and prestige needed for your career goals, 3) Open access requirements from your funder, 4) APC budget, 5) Review time (if you need quick publication), 6) Acceptance rate. Use our Journal Suggester tool to find matching journals based on your research area.

Scopus (Elsevier) covers ~27,000 journals and is broader in coverage. Web of Science (Clarivate) covers ~21,000 journals and is seen as more selective. Both are respected. Some journals are indexed in both, some in only one. For the strongest impact, look for journals indexed in both databases.