Assessing the level of influence and authority of scientific journals plays a key role in choosing a publication. Authors of articles should take a responsible approach to analysing journal indicators in order to choose the most suitable option. In the academic environment, there are many different metrics for evaluating scientific publications. In this article, we will review the most popular ones and describe their main characteristics.
CiteScore: what is this indicator?
CiteScore – is a metric that displays the average number of citations of articles in a particular journal over the past 4 years. It is worth noting that this time period was chosen for a reason, as it is the ideal period for determining the demand for a publication before it loses its relevance.
This indicator is used on the basis of Scopus and evaluates only those journals that are indexed by this platform.
How to calculate CiteScore?
To find out the value of the indicator for a particular journal, you need to divide the number of citations received by its publications over 4 years by the total number of these publications for the same period.
What is Citescore Tracker?
It is impossible to talk about CiteScore without mentioning CiteScore Tracker. This is a metric that evaluates scientific journals using the same principle as CiteScore, but with one important feature: it is updated every month.
The main advantage of CiteScore Tracker is the regularity of the journal evaluation. While the classic CiteScore is recalculated only once a year, Tracker allows you to track current changes on a monthly basis, making it a useful tool for rapid analysis.
CiteScore Tracker is calculated in the same way as the main indicator: the total number of citations for the current year to articles published in the previous four years is divided by the number of these articles. The only difference is that the data is updated every month, providing a fresher look at the dynamics of the journal's activity.
Impact Factor: what is this metric?
Above, we looked at the indicator used by the Scopus database. But what about Web of Science? This platform has an alternative metric that assesses how actively articles in a particular journal are cited: the impact factor.
It is updated annually and published in a special report – Journal Citation Reports (JCR), which is prepared by Clarivate Analytics. In this report, journals are classified into more than 250 scientific fields. These include natural and exact sciences (SCIE), social and behavioural sciences (SSCI), humanities and arts (AHCI), as well as new and emerging journals (ESCI).
How to calculate the Impact Factor?
Although this indicator performs the same function as CitaScore, the approach to its calculation is slightly different. To do this, divide the total number of citations of articles for the previous 2 years by the total number of cited articles for the same period. As we can see, the key difference is the time period covered by the Impact Factor.
SJR: what is this metric?
It is also worth noting the SJR (SCImago Journal Rank) metric, which is used to assess the prestige of scientific journals indexed in the Scopus database.
Unlike simpler metrics, SJR takes into account not only the number of articles and their citations, but also the weight of the citing sources — that is, how authoritative the journals are from which the links come. In addition, the SJR calculation takes into account the characteristics of the scientific field to which the journal belongs, which allows for a more accurate reflection of its influence in a particular discipline.
What does this mean? The fact is that each scientific discipline has its own characteristics in terms of citation frequency. In some fields, articles are cited actively and regularly, while in others, even a small number of links is considered a good indicator. This may be due to the narrow specialisation of the field or the smaller number of researchers working in it. That is why metrics such as SJR take into account the context of the scientific field in order to provide a more objective assessment of a journal's authority.
The metrics discussed above are only a small part of all existing indicators for evaluating scientific journals. Although their main task is to assess the impact and authority of publications, the calculation principles for each metric differ. Nevertheless, their importance cannot be overestimated: it is thanks to these indicators that researchers can objectively evaluate journals and make the right choice when preparing publications.
To minimise risks and simplify publication in Scopus or Web of Science as much as possible, contact Scientific Publications. We will provide you with professional support at all stages of the process: from selecting a reliable and reputable journal to the actual publication. To receive a free consultation, fill out the form below, and our manager will contact you shortly. Together towards new scientific achievements!
