Highest ranked, most reputed journals in their category.
Journal Quality • Low Cost Publication
Web of Science Q1, Q2, Q3 & Q4 Journals, Explained
Expanded guide: this article now has a longer, fully updated edition with step-by-step how-to sections, FAQs and checklists — Web of Science Quartiles Explained: How JIF and JCR Rank Journals into Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4, the Myths, and How to Check.
What a quartile ranking actually measures, how Clarivate calculates it, the two myths that trip up almost every first-time author, and how to check any journal’s quartile yourself in under two minutes.
Key takeaways
- A quartile places a journal within its Journal Citation Reports category by Journal Impact Factor rank: Q1 is the top 25 percent, Q4 the bottom 25 percent.
- The same journal can sit in different quartiles in different categories and different years; always name the category and the JCR year.
- Quartiles exist only for journals in the Web of Science Core Collection; check the Master Journal List first.
- JMVRA makes no Web of Science claim. Its 11.25 is a calculated metric from Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar citations, not a Clarivate JIF.
For researchers and academicians, publishing in a high-quality journal is not just a milestone — it is a validation of the work itself. One of the most respected journal indexing services is Web of Science (WoS), maintained by Clarivate Analytics. If you are new to research publishing, you have likely heard about Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 journals — but what do these quartile rankings actually mean, and how do they affect a research career?
A relative rank, within a category
The Four Quartiles
High quality, solid journals just outside the top tier.
Moderate-impact journals — still indexed, still legitimate.
Lower-ranked within their category — not the same as low quality.
Quartiles rank journals against each other in a category. Read the call for papers, then submit when your manuscript fits our scope.
₹971 INR Indian authors · $41 USD international · payable after acceptanceWhat actually differs
Q1 vs Q2 vs Q3 vs Q4
| Feature | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige | Very high | High | Moderate | Lower within category |
| Typical acceptance rate | Very low (roughly 5–20%) | Low (roughly 10–25%) | Medium (roughly 20–35%) | Higher, varies by title |
| Review process | Strict, often multi-round | Thorough | Average | Varies by journal |
| Visibility | Global | Wide | Medium | Limited relative to Q1–Q2 |
| Citation rate | High | Moderate to high | Moderate | Lower relative to Q1–Q2 |
Recalculated every year
How Are Journals Ranked Into Quartiles?
Clarivate ranks journals annually using several metrics together, not a single number:
- Impact Factor (IF) for the current year
- 5-Year Impact Factor
- Citation counts within the category
- Category-specific metrics that vary by discipline
The two mistakes everyone makes
Common Myths
Myth: Q1 means the journal is the best in the world.
It means the journal is among the top 25% within its specific JCR category — a Q1 astrophysics journal and a Q1 nursing journal are ranked within entirely separate categories, not against each other.
Myth: Q4 journals are not worth publishing in.
Q4 journals still meet Web of Science indexing quality standards. A quartile is a relative rank inside a category, not a verdict on whether a journal is legitimate.
Myth: Every category has the same acceptance rate at each quartile.
Acceptance rates vary widely by field and by individual journal — the ranges shown on this page are typical, not universal.
At the source, not from a claim
How to Check a Journal's Quartile
- Go to mjl.clarivate.com.
- Search the journal by name or ISSN.
- Find its JCR category — a journal can sit in more than one category.
- Check the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) entry for that category’s quartile.
Run the same check on any journal, including this one. Then read the call for papers.
₹971 INR Indian authors · $41 USD international · payable after acceptanceAiming for Q1/Q2
Tips for a Stronger Submission
- Select a specific niche relevant to your research rather than a broad, generic scope.
- Review past issues to understand the journal’s actual coverage, not just its stated scope.
- Write with clarity and originality — reviewers at higher-quartile journals read a lot of submissions.
- Ensure strong methodology and a properly built reference list.
- Be prepared for multiple rounds of revision; this is normal, not a rejection signal.
The four quartiles, by rank in a category
Each step is a quarter of the journals in one JCR category, ranked by Journal Impact Factor.
Before you trust a quartile claim
Five things a true quartile claim always comes with. A claim missing any of them is a slogan.
- The claim names the JCR category and the year
- The journal is in the Master Journal List (mjl.clarivate.com), searched by ISSN
- The edition is named: SCIE, SSCI, AHCI or ESCI
- The quartile matches what JCR shows, not a screenshot on the journal’s site
- Your institution’s rule actually asks for a quartile, and says which one
Related articles and guides
Submit Your Paper to JMVRA
Peer-reviewed, open access, ISSN 2984-8911. Read the call for papers, then submit online.
Questions? [email protected]
Keep reading
Related Guides
What researchers search for
Popular Search Terms
WoS quartiles
Web of Science basics
Low cost publication
Popular questions and answers
WoS Quartile FAQs
These visible answers also power the FAQ structured data on this page.
What is Web of Science (WoS)?
A citation database maintained by Clarivate Analytics, indexing high-impact scientific and scholarly journals across disciplines, with tools for tracking citation data, impact factors and research influence.
What are quartiles (Q1-Q4) in Web of Science?
Journals indexed in Web of Science are ranked into four quartiles within a specific JCR category, based on their Impact Factor: Q1 is the top 25% of that category, Q2 is 25-50%, Q3 is 50-75%, and Q4 is the bottom 25%.
How does a journal get ranked into a quartile?
Clarivate ranks journals annually using metrics including the current-year Impact Factor, the 5-Year Impact Factor, citation counts, and other category-specific metrics.
Does Q1 mean the journal is the best in the world?
No. It means the journal ranks in the top 25% within its own specific JCR category. A Q1 journal in one field is not being compared against journals in an unrelated field.
Are Q4 journals not worth publishing in?
Q4 journals still meet Web of Science indexing quality standards — the quartile is a relative rank inside a category, not a statement that the journal is substandard.
How do I check a journal's quartile myself?
Go to mjl.clarivate.com, search the journal by name or ISSN, find its JCR category (a journal can appear in more than one), and check the Journal Citation Reports entry for that category’s quartile.
Why do quartile rankings matter for my career?
Publishing in a higher quartile is often weighted more heavily for academic recognition, promotions, PhD requirements and research grants, and institutions sometimes use quartile distribution in their own rankings.
What is the difference between Web of Science quartiles and Scopus indexing?
They are different systems from different companies. Web of Science and its JCR quartiles are maintained by Clarivate; Scopus and its CiteScore/SJR/SNIP metrics are maintained by Elsevier. A journal can be covered by one, both, or neither.
Is JMVRA a Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4 Web of Science journal?
Check that the same way you would check any journal — search our ISSN on mjl.clarivate.com directly rather than relying on a claim from us or from anyone else. We do not assert a Web of Science quartile on this page.
Where do I submit my paper?
Read the current call for papers to confirm scope, article types and deadlines, then submit through the official online submission page.
Question not answered here? Email [email protected] — or go straight to the current call for papers.
₹971 INR Indian authors · $41 USD international · payable after acceptance
