Journal Quartiles Explained: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 and the SJR–JCR Difference
The same journal can be Q1 in one list and Q3 in another — and both can be correct. A quartile is not a single measure: SJR and JCR rest on different databases, CiteScore produces a quartile of its own, and all of them depend on the subject category. This guide explains what a quartile does and does not tell you, and how to verify a “Q1” claim.
There is more than one quartile system
The SJR quartile is based on Scopus data; the JCR quartile is based on Web of Science data. The same journal can land in different quartiles in the two systems, because both the citation pool and the subject category it is placed in differ. Elsevier's CiteScore indicator produces yet another quartile.
So saying “the journal is Q1” without naming the source is incomplete. The accurate sentence is: “Journal X is Q1 in category Y in the 2024 SJR.” Journal Check reports the quartile together with all three: which system, which year, which category.
The category changes the answer
A journal can be listed in several subject categories and sit in a different quartile in each. Being Q1 in a narrow category with few journals is not the same achievement as being Q1 in a broad, competitive one.
Publishers naturally advertise their best quartile. When you evaluate a journal, look at the quartile in the category that matches your field — institutional criteria usually name a specific category too.
The stale-quartile trap: lists lag, coverage does not
Quartile lists are published once a year. When a journal is dropped from an index, the already-published quartile list keeps carrying the old value for a while. The result: the journal still looks “Q2” while the source database no longer lists it at all.
This is one of the most misleading situations when choosing where to submit. Journal Check reports the contradiction as a separate signal: “This journal shows a strong quartile, but the source database NO LONGER LISTS it.” When that warning appears, do not decide on the quartile.
What a quartile does not tell you
- It does not measure the quality of any single article; it summarises the journal's citation behaviour.
- It does not show how rigorous the peer review is.
- It does not show that the journal's scope fits your work.
- It says nothing about the article processing charge.
- It does not guarantee the journal will still be there next year.
A sound way to look for a “Q1 journal”
- 1. Look at where comparable work in your field was actually published — that is what Journal Finder does.
- 2. Verify candidates by ISSN and record the quartile with its system, year and category.
- 3. Drop journals carrying a stale-quartile warning.
- 4. Compare scope against the journal's own aims-and-scope text; a quartile is no substitute for scope fit.
- 5. Judge fees, review times and copyright terms independently of the quartile.
See the quartile with its source
SJR and CiteScore quartiles, the category, and the stale-quartile warning together. Open Journal Check →