What does Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 mean for academic journals?

Quartiles divide journals in a subject category into four equal groups based on their citation rate or SJR score. Q1 contains the top 25% (highest impact), Q2 the next 25%, Q3 the third quartile, and Q4 the bottom 25%.

Is a Q1 journal always better than a Q2 journal?

Q1 journals have higher citation rates within their subject category, but 'better' depends on your research scope, audience, and field norms. Some specialized Q2 journals are more appropriate venues than broad Q1 journals.

How are these rankings calculated?

Rankings are derived from the latest citation rate data for each journal in our database. When official quartile data is available we use it directly; otherwise quartiles are computed by ranking journals within the selected subject category.

Journal Rankings 2026 — Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4

Browse 22 ranked journals grouped into quartiles by citation rate. Use the subject filter below to narrow down by research field.

Data last refreshed: Jul 31, 2026

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All Subjects Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies Human auditory perception and evaluation Plant and animal studies Medicine Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Geological and Geochemical Analysis Social Sciences earthquake and tectonic studies Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques Conducting polymers and applications Advanced Statistical Methods and Models Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies Economic Theory and Policy Economic theories and models Environmental Science Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows Health disparities and outcomes Immune Cell Function and Interaction Social sciences (General) Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research Corporate Finance and Governance Education (General) Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping Global Maternal and Child Health Meat and Animal Product Quality Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet Schizophrenia research and treatment

Q1 — Top 25%

6 journals

Journal	IF
Science Bulletin Elsevier BV	7.52
Marine and Petroleum Geology Elsevier BV	4.37
Biogeosciences Copernicus Publications	3.54
Global and Planetary Change Elsevier BV	2.92
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Springer Science+Business Media	2.64
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Wiley	2.50

Q2 — 50th-75th Percentile

5 journals

Journal	IF
Tectonics Wiley	2.37
Sedimentary Geology Elsevier BV	2.25
Bulletin of Volcanology Springer Science+Business Media	2.18
Journal of Archaeological Science Elsevier BV	2.00
Meteoritics and Planetary Science Wiley	1.93

Q3 — 25th-50th Percentile

6 journals

Journal	IF
Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research Elsevier BV	1.92
Deep Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers Elsevier BV	1.89
Sedimentology Wiley	1.88
Organic Geochemistry Elsevier BV	1.88
Geobios Elsevier BV	1.67
Geological Journal Wiley	1.59

Q4 — Bottom 25%

5 journals

Journal	IF
Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France EDP Sciences	1.44
Cretaceous Research Elsevier BV	1.33
Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology Elsevier BV	1.30
Proceedings of the Geologists Association Elsevier BV	1.21
Eos Wiley	0.07

Understanding Journal Quartile Rankings

Quartile rankings (Q1-Q4) are a standard way to categorize academic journals within a subject. They're calculated by ordering all journals in a category by their citation rate (or SJR score) and dividing them into four equal groups.

Q1 — Top 25%, highest impact in the field
Q2 — 50th to 75th percentile
Q3 — 25th to 50th percentile
Q4 — Bottom 25%

Note: When official Scopus/JCR quartile data is available we use it. Otherwise quartiles are approximated by ranking journals within the selected subject by their latest citation rate.