Methods for Ranking Journals

Impact Factors

• Definition
• Available from the Journal Citation Reports/JCR.
• Impact factors are only assigned to a select group of journals in the sciences and social sciences.

Google Journal Metrics

• Available from Google Scholar

Eigenfactor

• Definition
• Available from Eigenfactor Search
• Further information:
  Eigenfactor: Detailed Methods (2007)

H-Index

• Definition
• Available from Scopus and SCImago Journal Rank
• Used primarily to rank individual researchers but can also rank journals
• Further information:
  1. Achievement Index Climbs the Ranks (Nature August 2007 Vol. 448#16: 737)
  2. "Reflections on the H-Index" (2007) by Anne-Wil Harzing, University of Melbourne

Citations

• Ranking based on the number of times a journal has been cited in the last 5 or 10 years
• Available from Microsoft Academic Search
  • Click on All Fields of Study in the left column.
  • Select a broad discipline such as Biology.
  • Select a sub-discipline if desired.
  • Click on Journals on the top, middle of the page.
  • Click on See more for chart of ranked journals.

Scimago Journal Rank (SJR)

• SJR explanation
• Available from SJR
• Factors considered for SJR journal rankings include:
  • H-Index
  • Total cites per journal
  • Total of published documents per journal
  • Cites per document

Journal Prices

• JournalPrices.com--Rank journals by price per article.

Related Guides 

• Journal Acceptance Rates