Scientific Worth Index Guides
Journal Rank, Quartile and Citation Window Guide
Journal rank and quartile values only make sense when their dataset, subject group, citation window and denominator are known. This guide explains those distinctions.
Journal rank and Q1-Q4 quartiles
A ranking orders journals by a defined score. A quartile divides that ordered set into four groups: Q1 contains the highest-ranked group, followed by Q2, Q3 and Q4. Different databases can assign different quartiles because coverage, subject categories and formulas differ.
Scientific Worth Index citation windows
For a selected year, the 1-year, 2-year and 5-year Index values count eligible external citations received during that selected year by articles published in the preceding one, two or five years. The numerator is divided by the number of eligible articles in the same publication window. Self citations are reported separately.
WOS quartile versus Scientific Worth Index Quarter
“WOS quartile” commonly refers to quartile information in Web of Science-related journal reports. Scientific Worth Index Quarter is independently calculated from this project's own coverage and 2-year Index ranking. The values should not be treated as interchangeable.
How to read a journal profile
- Check the selected data year and publication window.
- Compare the journal within an appropriate field and subject.
- Review article counts alongside citation-based scores.
- Inspect external citations and self citation indicators separately.
- Use the annual table to identify changes rather than relying on one value.