What is a Q1 journal in Scopus or Web of Science?

A Q1 journal represents the top 25% most cited journals in its specific academic discipline, indicating the highest citation impact in that subject category.

How are journal quartiles calculated?

Journal quartiles divide academic journals in a subject category into four equal percentile groups (25% each) based on citation metrics like SJR for Scopus or JIF/JCI for Web of Science.

Can a journal be Q1 in Scopus but Q2 in Web of Science?

Yes. This happens because Scopus and Web of Science use different citation metrics (SJR vs JIF) and may group the same journal into different subject categories.

Why should Indian researchers aim to publish in Q1 or Q2 journals?

Publishing in Q1 or Q2 journals signifies high-quality peer-reviewed research, boosts academic reputation, and positively impacts API scores for promotions in Indian institutions.

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Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 Journals 2026: Scopus and Web of Science Quartile Guide

Journal Quartiles (Q1 to Q4) divide academic journals into four equal percentile groups based on their citation impact. Here is how quartiles work in Scopus (SJR) and Web of Science (JCR) in 2026.

By ScholarVault Research Team Published: July 29, 2026 · Editor: Scientometrics Unit

📊 Journal Quartile Hierarchy Infographic

Percentile & Citation Impact Pyramid for Scopus and Web of Science

Top 25% (75th – 100th Percentile) Highest citation impact journals in subject category (e.g., Nature, IEEE TPAMI)

Top 25% – 50% (50th – 74.9th Percentile) High quality, respected journals with strong peer review standards

Middle 50% – 75% (25th – 49.9th Percentile) Average impact journals fulfilling basic academic citation metrics

Bottom 25% (0 – 24.9th Percentile) Lowest quartile range in subject category; warrants extra due diligence

Core Definition

What is a Journal Quartile (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)?

Scientometrics · 2026 Standard

A Journal Quartile is a statistical rank assigned to academic journals within a specific subject category based on citation impact metrics such as SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) in Scopus or Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in Web of Science.

In any given academic discipline (e.g., Artificial Intelligence or Cardiology), journals are ordered from highest impact to lowest impact and divided into four equal groups of 25% each:

"A Q1 journal represents the top 25% most cited journals in its specific academic discipline."

Scopus vs Web of Science

Why a Journal Can Be Q1 in Scopus but Q2 in Web of Science

Database Comparison · ScholarVault Insights

Researchers often discover that a journal holds different quartile ranks across databases. Here is why:

1. Different Metrics Used: Scopus calculates quartiles via SJR (which weights citations based on the prestige of the citing journal). Web of Science calculates quartiles using JIF or JCI metrics.

2. Subject Category Groupings: A journal may be assigned to "Computer Science" in Scopus but classified under "Information Systems" in Web of Science, altering its relative percentile rank.

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