In academic publishing, the labels Q1 and Q2 describe a journal’s relative position within a defined subject category. The letter “Q” stands for quartile, meaning that journals are ranked according to a selected bibliometric indicator and then divided into four approximately equal groups. Q1 contains the highest-ranked group, Q2 contains the next-highest group, Q3 contains the third group, and Q4 contains the lowest-ranked group.
A Q1 journal is therefore generally positioned within the top 25% of journals in its subject category, whereas a Q2 journal is positioned within the next 25%. This classification is relative rather than absolute. It does not indicate that every paper in a Q1 journal is scientifically superior to every paper in a Q2, Q3, or Q4 journal. Instead, it summarizes how the journal performs, according to a particular citation-based metric, relative to other journals assigned to the same field.
Understanding this distinction is important because quartile rankings are frequently used in journal selection, institutional evaluation, research assessment, promotion decisions, funding applications, and national publication policies. However, quartiles must be interpreted together with the ranking database, subject category, metric, and year from which they were obtained.
The Meaning of Journal Quartiles
A quartile divides an ordered dataset into four parts. In journal evaluation, the dataset consists of journals assigned to a particular subject category and arranged from the highest metric value to the lowest. The journals are then separated into four groups of approximately equal size.
The conceptual classification can be represented as follows:
| Quartile | Approximate position within the category | General interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Top 25% | Highest-ranked journals |
| Q2 | 25%–50% | Upper-middle-ranked journals |
| Q3 | 50%–75% | Lower-middle-ranked journals |
| Q4 | Bottom 25% | Lowest-ranked journals |
The SCImago Journal & Country Rank methodology states that journals are ranked according to their SCImago Journal Rank values and divided into four groups, with Q1 representing the group with the highest values and Q4 representing the group with the lowest values.
Similarly, Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports classifies journals within each category according to their rank. Under the standard quartile interpretation, Q1 represents the highest-ranked quarter, Q2 represents the second quarter, Q3 represents the third quarter, and Q4 represents the lowest-ranked quarter. The detailed quartile ranges are described in the Clarivate guidance on Journal Citation Reports quartile rankings.
If a subject category contains $N$ journals and a journal occupies rank $r$, its approximate normalized position may be represented conceptually as:
$ z = \frac{r}{N} $
A journal with a small value of $z$ is close to the top of the ranking. In a simplified quartile model, the journal would be classified according to:
$ Q(z) = \begin{cases}
\mathrm{Q1}, & 0 < z \leq 0.25 \
\mathrm{Q2}, & 0.25 < z \leq 0.50 \
\mathrm{Q3}, & 0.50 < z \leq 0.75 \
\mathrm{Q4}, & 0.75 < z \leq 1
\end{cases} $
This expression provides an intuitive interpretation, although actual database procedures may incorporate tied metric values, category-specific ranking rules, eligibility criteria, and other methodological details.
What Is a Q1 Journal?
A Q1 journal belongs to the highest-ranked quartile within at least one subject category in a specified ranking system and year. In ordinary terms, it is among the top approximately 25% of journals evaluated in that category.
For example, suppose 200 journals are ranked under a subject category such as materials chemistry. In a simplified division, approximately the first 50 journals would be classified as Q1. A journal ranked 20th would clearly fall within Q1, while a journal ranked 90th would not.
A Q1 classification often indicates that the journal has comparatively strong citation performance, visibility, scholarly influence, or citation prestige. The exact interpretation depends on the metric used. In Journal Citation Reports, quartile positioning is associated with the journal’s rank within a category based on the Journal Impact Factor. In SCImago, quartiles are based on the SCImago Journal Rank indicator, which gives different weights to citations depending on the prestige of the citing sources.
Q1 journals are frequently associated with selective editorial screening, rigorous peer review, broad international readership, high submission volumes, and relatively low acceptance rates. These characteristics, however, are tendencies rather than formal consequences of the Q1 designation. Quartile classification is calculated from bibliometric ranking data; it does not directly measure peer-review quality, editorial ethics, experimental reproducibility, or acceptance difficulty.
A highly specialized journal may be Q1 even if its raw citation count appears modest. Because it is compared with journals in the same subject category, strong performance relative to its disciplinary peers may be sufficient for Q1 status. Conversely, a journal with a high numerical citation metric may not be Q1 if it operates in a field where citation rates are exceptionally high.
What Is a Q2 Journal?
A Q2 journal belongs to the second-highest quartile within a particular subject category. It is generally positioned between the top 25% and top 50% of journals in that category.
If 200 journals are ranked, the journals occupying approximately positions 51 through 100 would fall within Q2 under a simplified equal-group model. A Q2 journal is therefore above the median or near the upper half of the ranked journal population, although the precise treatment of boundaries and tied values depends on the database.
Q2 should not be interpreted as a low-quality designation. In many disciplines, Q2 journals are established, internationally indexed, technically rigorous publications with substantial readership and citation influence. Some Q2 journals are highly specialized and publish influential work within narrowly defined research communities. Others may be emerging journals whose citation performance is increasing but has not yet reached the Q1 boundary.
For researchers, Q2 journals may offer an effective balance between visibility, disciplinary relevance, editorial selectivity, and realistic publication probability. A well-matched Q2 journal may be academically preferable to a poorly matched Q1 journal. Journal selection should therefore be driven first by scientific scope, readership, methodological compatibility, editorial standards, and publication ethics rather than by quartile alone.
Q1 Versus Q2: The Essential Difference
The primary distinction between Q1 and Q2 is their relative ranking position. Q1 represents the highest-ranked quarter of journals in a category, while Q2 represents the following quarter. This difference may reflect variations in citation influence, visibility, journal prestige, readership, or the citation prestige of the sources from which citations originate.
The distinction does not create an absolute boundary between “good” and “bad” research. A Q1 journal may publish an article that later receives little attention, while an article in a Q2 journal may become highly cited or transform its field. Quartiles describe journals as aggregate publication venues; they do not determine the scientific value of individual manuscripts.
The practical difference may nevertheless be important in academic systems that assign formal weight to journal quartiles. Some universities give more credit to Q1 publications in faculty recruitment, doctoral requirements, promotion, or performance evaluation. Funding agencies may also consider the perceived standing of the publication venue. Such practices increase the strategic importance of quartiles, although responsible research assessment discourages using journal-level metrics as substitutes for evaluating the content and contribution of individual articles.
Quartiles Depend on the Ranking System
The statement that a journal is “Q1” is incomplete unless the ranking source is specified. A journal may be Q1 in one database and Q2 in another because different systems use different source databases, citation windows, inclusion criteria, subject classifications, and mathematical indicators.
Journal Citation Reports Quartiles
Journal Citation Reports is produced by Clarivate and is associated with the Web of Science ecosystem. Journals are assigned to one or more subject categories and ranked within those categories. Quartiles are commonly derived from the journal’s category ranking based on the Journal Impact Factor.
Clarivate describes Journal Citation Reports as a publisher-neutral resource containing journal-level data and indicators for evaluating scholarly journals. Further information is available through the official Journal Citation Reports overview.
The Journal Impact Factor for a given reporting year can be represented in simplified form as:
$ \mathrm{JIF}_{Y} =
\frac{\text{citations in year }Y\text{ to citable items published in }Y-1\text{ and }Y-2}
{\text{citable items published in }Y-1\text{ and }Y-2} $
The quartile is not determined directly by whether the Journal Impact Factor exceeds a universal threshold. Instead, the journal is compared with other journals in the same category. A Journal Impact Factor of 4 may correspond to Q1 in one field, Q2 in another, and Q3 in a citation-intensive field.
SCImago Journal Rank Quartiles
SCImago Journal & Country Rank provides journal indicators developed using information derived from the Scopus database. Its quartiles are generally based on the SCImago Journal Rank indicator.
Unlike a simple citation-per-paper average, the SJR indicator weights citations according to the influence or prestige of the citing journals. A citation from a highly influential journal therefore contributes differently from a citation originating from a less influential source. Journals are ranked within their subject categories according to SJR and assigned to quartiles. The official methodology is accessible through the SCImago help documentation.
The operational SJR algorithm is more sophisticated, but this expression illustrates why not all citations contribute identically.
Scopus CiteScore Percentiles
Scopus also reports CiteScore metrics, percentiles, and journal rankings. CiteScore is based on citations received by peer-reviewed documents over a defined four-year publication window relative to the number of documents published during that period.
A simplified representation is:
$ \mathrm{CiteScore}_{Y} =
\frac{\text{citations received in }Y-3\text{ through }Y}
{\text{documents published in }Y-3\text{ through }Y} $
Scopus reports journal metrics including CiteScore, SJR, Source Normalized Impact per Paper, citation counts, and related indicators. The official Scopus metrics documentation explains the available journal-level metrics and provides access to journal ranking information through Scopus Preview.
Because CiteScore percentile rankings and SCImago quartiles are related to different indicators, researchers should not automatically treat “Scopus Q1,” “CiteScore Q1,” and “SJR Q1” as perfectly interchangeable expressions. The metric and source should always be reported explicitly.
Why the Same Journal Can Have Different Quartiles
A journal may have multiple quartile classifications at the same time because it may be assigned to more than one subject category. A multidisciplinary journal, for example, might be classified under materials science, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology. It could be Q1 in one category and Q2 in another.
Consider a journal with the following hypothetical ranks:
| Subject category | Rank | Number of journals | Approximate quartile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanoscience and nanotechnology | 18 | 120 | Q1 |
| Biomedical engineering | 52 | 160 | Q2 |
| Materials chemistry | 70 | 310 | Q1 |
The journal’s raw rank is not sufficient to determine its quartile. Rank 70 corresponds to Q1 in a category containing 310 journals but would correspond to a much lower quartile in a category containing only 100 journals.
Quartiles can also differ between databases because the databases may not index exactly the same journals. Their subject taxonomies may differ, and the citation networks used to calculate their metrics may contain different publications and document types. Therefore, the statement “this is a Q1 journal” should ideally be expanded to “this journal was Q1 in the specified category according to the specified database and reporting year.”
Quartiles Change Over Time
Journal quartiles are not permanent labels. Rankings are recalculated periodically, usually in connection with annual metric releases. A journal may move from Q2 to Q1 if its citation performance improves relative to competing journals. It may also move from Q1 to Q2 even if its own metric increases, because other journals in the category may improve more rapidly.
Several mechanisms can produce quartile movement. Citation performance may change, new journals may enter the category, established journals may be removed or reassigned, category boundaries may be modified, or metric methodologies may be updated. A journal near a quartile boundary may change classification because of a relatively small difference in rank.
Suppose a journal is ranked 25th among 100 journals. It is located near the Q1–Q2 boundary. If additional journals enter the category or another journal overtakes it, the classification may change even though the journal’s editorial quality and publication practices remain essentially unchanged.
Consequently, researchers should record the ranking year when documenting a journal quartile. A statement such as “Q1 according to SCImago 2025” is more informative and reproducible than an undated statement that the journal “is Q1.”
Quartile Does Not Equal Indexing
Indexing and quartile ranking are related but different concepts. A journal is indexed when it is included in a bibliographic database after satisfying that database’s selection criteria. Quartile classification occurs only after eligible journals are organized within subject categories and ranked according to a selected metric.
A journal may be indexed in Scopus but lack a current quartile in a particular external ranking source. This can occur when the journal is newly indexed, has insufficient citation history, is categorized differently, or is not included in the relevant metric release. Similarly, inclusion in Web of Science does not automatically mean that the journal has a Journal Impact Factor or a particular JCR quartile.
Researchers should therefore verify several separate questions: whether the journal is currently indexed, which index includes it, whether it has an active metric, which categories it belongs to, and which quartile applies in the relevant year. The official Scopus information portal describes Scopus as an abstract and citation database curated through an independent content-selection process. The Web of Science Master Journal List can be used to verify journal coverage within Clarivate’s indices.
How to Verify Whether a Journal Is Q1 or Q2
Reliable verification begins with the journal’s exact title and International Standard Serial Number. Searching only by title can create confusion because predatory or deceptive journals may use names resembling those of established publications. The print and electronic ISSNs provide more precise identifiers.
For an SJR-based quartile, researchers can search the SCImago Journal & Country Rank portal. The journal profile normally displays subject categories, SJR values, historical quartiles, publisher information, country, coverage years, and related indicators.
For a Journal Citation Reports quartile, the journal should be checked through Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports platform. Access may depend on an institutional subscription. The journal record should be examined for the reporting year, subject category, category rank, Journal Impact Factor, and corresponding quartile.
For Scopus-derived metrics, researchers can use Scopus Sources or Scopus Preview and inspect the journal’s CiteScore, percentile, coverage status, subject classifications, SJR, and Source Normalized Impact per Paper. The verification date should be recorded because database coverage and metric values can change.
A screenshot from an unknown website, an undated spreadsheet, or a publisher’s unsupported claim should not be treated as definitive evidence. Verification should be performed directly through the relevant ranking provider whenever the quartile affects submission decisions, promotion documentation, funding eligibility, or institutional compliance.
How Quartiles Should Influence Journal Selection
Quartile is useful as a screening variable, but it should not be the sole journal-selection criterion. A technically strong manuscript requires a journal whose readership, scope, article types, methodological expectations, and disciplinary orientation match the research.
A Q1 journal with weak scope alignment may reject a manuscript during editorial screening without external review. By contrast, a carefully selected Q2 journal may provide a more appropriate audience, more constructive peer review, and greater long-term visibility within the relevant specialist community.
Researchers should interpret quartile together with the journal’s aims and scope, recently published articles, editorial board, indexing status, peer-review model, publication frequency, open-access policy, article-processing charges, correction and retraction practices, data-sharing requirements, review duration, and publication ethics. No single bibliometric indicator captures all these dimensions.
The decision can be conceptualized as a multi-criteria evaluation:
$ S_j =
w_1F_j +
w_2R_j +
w_3V_j +
w_4E_j +
w_5T_j -
w_6C_j $
where $S_j$ is the overall suitability of journal $j$, $F_j$ represents scope fit, $R_j$ represents reputation, $V_j$ represents visibility, $E_j$ represents editorial and ethical quality, $T_j$ represents operational suitability such as review time, and $C_j$ represents financial or procedural cost. The coefficients $w_1,\ldots,w_6$ reflect the researcher’s priorities.
Quartile contributes mainly to the reputation and visibility components. It does not replace the remaining variables.
Limitations of Q1 and Q2 Classifications
The principal limitation of quartile classification is that it compresses a continuous ranking into four broad categories. Two journals on opposite sides of a quartile boundary may have nearly identical metric values but receive different labels. Conversely, two journals within Q1 may differ substantially in rank and citation performance.
Quartiles are also sensitive to disciplinary citation behavior. Fields with large research communities and rapid publication cycles often generate more citations than small or slowly developing fields. Category-based ranking reduces this problem but does not eliminate it, particularly for multidisciplinary journals.
Journal metrics may also be influenced by review articles, publication volume, citation concentration, editorial policies, self-citation patterns, and a small number of exceptionally highly cited papers. A journal-level average may therefore conceal substantial variation among individual articles.
Another limitation is the possibility of metric-driven behavior. When institutional rewards are strongly linked to quartiles, researchers may prioritize ranking labels over scientific relevance, reproducibility, accessibility, or societal value. Journals and publishers may also have incentives to adopt editorial strategies that increase citation indicators without necessarily improving scientific quality.
Responsible evaluation requires article-level assessment, expert judgment, methodological scrutiny, transparency, and consideration of the research contribution itself. Quartiles are informative contextual indicators, not universal measures of truth, rigor, or importance.
Common Misinterpretations
One common error is to describe Q2 as the bottom half of journals. Q2 is generally the second quartile and therefore remains within the upper half of the ranked category.
Another error is to compare quartiles across unrelated fields as though they represented identical citation performance. Q1 in mathematics and Q1 in molecular biology indicate similar relative category positions, but the journals may have very different citation counts and numerical metric values.
Researchers also sometimes confuse the journal’s current quartile with the quartile that applied when an article was published. For formal reporting, institutions may require the quartile from the publication year rather than the journal’s latest ranking.
A further misunderstanding is that every Q1 journal must have a higher numerical Impact Factor than every Q2 journal. This is not true across categories. A Q2 journal in a highly cited discipline may have a larger Impact Factor than a Q1 journal in a field with lower citation density.
Finally, quartiles should not be inferred from a journal’s claims alone. Statements such as “Q1 international journal” should be checked against the named database, category, year, and ISSN.
Practical Interpretation for Researchers
For a researcher deciding where to submit, Q1 generally signals a journal with a high relative position in its field and potentially strong visibility, citation influence, and competition for publication. Q2 signals a reputable upper-half journal that may offer excellent disciplinary reach and strong academic recognition.
Neither classification guarantees acceptance, rapid review, ethical publishing, high-quality feedback, or future citations. Manuscript quality and journal fit remain decisive. A novel but narrowly focused study may perform better in a specialist Q2 journal than in a broad Q1 journal where the work falls outside the central editorial priorities.
Career stage may influence submission strategy, but quartile should not be reduced to a rule such as “senior researchers publish in Q1 and early-career researchers publish in Q2.” Early-career researchers can produce work suitable for leading journals, while experienced researchers may deliberately choose specialized Q2 or Q3 journals because they reach the most appropriate audience.
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Conclusion
Q1 and Q2 are journal quartile classifications that describe a journal’s relative ranking within a specific subject category. Q1 normally represents the highest-ranked approximately 25% of journals, while Q2 represents the following approximately 25%. Both classifications are contextual and depend on the database, metric, category, and reporting year.
A Q1 designation often indicates strong relative citation performance and scholarly visibility, but it does not guarantee the quality of every published article. A Q2 journal remains an upper-half publication venue and may be highly respected, technically rigorous, and especially influential within a specialized research community.
Quartiles are most useful when they are treated as one component of a broader journal-evaluation process. Researchers should verify the ranking through an authoritative source, identify the applicable subject category and year, distinguish between JCR, CiteScore, and SJR classifications, and evaluate the journal’s scope, editorial standards, ethics, readership, and publication conditions.
The most defensible interpretation is therefore not that Q1 journals are universally “good” and Q2 journals are inherently inferior. Rather, Q1 and Q2 indicate different relative positions within a defined bibliometric system. Sound publication decisions require combining that positional information with expert evaluation of scientific fit, methodological expectations, research objectives, and the intended scholarly audience.
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