Even experienced scholars face difficulty when it comes to negotiating the subtleties of bibliometrics. The most frequent question that we get is the following: Is it possible to have a journal with a Quartile (Q1, Q2, etc.) and no Impact Factor?
The short answer is yes. It would be important to know the reasons why this occurs in your submission strategy. It helps you avoid rejecting good journals or being misled by predatory publishers.
The Cause of the Misunderstanding: Two Worlds
To make sense of this paradox, you should be aware of the fact that the sources of the “Quartiles” and “Impact Factors” belong to two different databases.
- Impact Factor (JIF): It is an offering of Clarivate Analytics (previously Thomson Reuters). It particularly evaluates journals indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).
- The Quartile (Q): This is a ranking system. It segregates a type of journals into four equal sections in accordance to their performance. Nevertheless, Clarivate and Scopus (SJR) both make use of quartiles.
The Scenario: Quartile minus JIF
What happens to a journal to have the Q1 or Q2 ranking, yet a zero Impact Factor? This normally happens when the journal is registered in Scopus but not in the Web of Science (WoS).
Scopus has a measure, known as the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) or CiteScore. They rank journals in their respective subject topics. A journal that attains the top 25th percentile in its genre on Scopus is considered a “Q1” journal. Nevertheless, when the same journal is not indexed in the Web of Science core collection, it will lack an official Journal Impact Factor.
A number of new journals or niche open-access sites fit in this category. They are highly visible and highly peer-reviewed, and have not passed a JIF-level administrative test of time.
Why Does This Have Importance to Your Research?
You have to go further than the JIF when you want Journal Selection Advice. Many institutional boards and grant committees now recognize Scopus Quartiles as a quality measure that they can use.
By not taking notice of a journal simply on the basis of its not having an Impact Factor, you could fail to notice:
- Increased Speed in Publication: More recent journals tend to have more efficient reviews.
- Improved Specialized Reach: Niche Scopus journals are often read by smaller groups than their general JIF journal counterparts.
- Improved Acceptance Rates: Q1 Scopus journals are of high quality and potentially have a lower saturation rate compared to traditional JIF giants.
The Threat of Predatory Journals
Most of the legitimate journals have Quartile but no JIF whereas predatory journals tend to cheat on such measures. They may inquire to have a Global Impact Factor or a General Impact Factor. These are fake metrics.
Never trust the status of a journal unless you can check it using an official portal such as Scimago Journal & Country Rank or the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). Real journals will be open regarding the database that gives their ranking.
How To Plan Your Presentation
At Fast Publications, we suggest that a middle ground is taken. We read through your writing and figure out what you are up to. Is it institutional prestige, fast dissemination, or large number of citations?
- In the case of Tenure and Promotion: See what your university requires. Others have a JIF and others have a Q1 or a Q2 position in any major database.
- In the case of Global Visibility: Scopus (SJR) rankings tend to be more inclusive of international research and social sciences.
- In the case of Niche Impact: A Q1 Scopus journal in a narrow sub-field can usually be more useful than a Q4 JIF journal in a segmented category.
Conclusion
It is quite possible to have a journal with a Quartile rank devoid of an Impact Factor. This only implies that the journal is listed by Scopus, however not by the Web of Science. To most scholars, a Q1 Scopus journal is a great place to call home.
Complex measures will not hold back your career. Fast Publications is the place where you get the data-driven Journal Selection Advice to make. We deal with the measures that you may deal with science.
