Some scientists believe that only publications in high quartile journals (Q1-Q2) have scientific value. However, submitting a paper to a Q2 publication does not always guarantee its success. In our article, we will look at the characteristics of Q2 journals and why publishing in them is not always the best choice.
What is a quartile in Scopus and how is it determined?
Quartile of a scientific journal is an indicator that determines the publication's place in the ranking of scientific journals within a specific subject category based on the citation index.
In Scopus, the quartile is calculated based on the CiteScore indicator. It reflects the average annual number of citations received by articles in the journal in the Scopus database over the past 4 years.
The next step is to divide the journals into four categories based on their citation index: Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Read more about quartiles in our article.
Q2 scientific journals
Q2 journals are classified as high-quality and prestigious scientific publications. Although their level of authority is slightly lower than that of Q1 journals, they also have a high level of competition for publication. These journals also have strict requirements for submitted materials and a rigorous review process, which creates certain difficulties for some researchers when it comes to publication.
How does the publication process work in Q2 publications?
Many researchers strive to publish in Q2 journals because of their high level of prestige. However, due to the strict selection of articles, the review process takes an average of 6 months or longer, which can lead to the author missing the necessary deadlines. At this stage, the work is checked for compliance with the stated requirements of the publication, and often an article may be rejected even before the review process begins due to inconsistency with the subject matter.
Despite all the advantages of publications of this quality, publishing in Q2 journals still has its drawbacks. The key ones are as follows:
1. Higher risk of rejection before the review process begins
The editorial board of a scientific journal may reject a work at the initial evaluation stage if it does not correspond to the journal's subject area, publication objectives, etc. As a result, the author may spend a considerable amount of time submitting the article and waiting for a response from the editorial board.
2. Longer publication times
As noted above, the average publication time for second quartile (Q2) journals is six months. This depends on the editorial workload, the number of revisions required, the speed of reviewer responses, etc. In such cases, authors are advised to plan their publication in advance to meet the requirements of their higher education institution or organisation in a timely manner.
3. High article processing charges
Some second quartile journals have fairly high article processing charges (APC). Although this amount may include additional editorial services, the high cost can be an obstacle for some scientists. Therefore, authors should plan their publication budget in advance.
4. Quartile may not correspond to effectiveness
A Q2 journal does not always guarantee successful publication. Due to high competition and a significant number of researchers wishing to disseminate their research through prestigious journals, a scientist's work may be lost among numerous publications. Accordingly, the work may not receive the expected recognition and citations, as is the case, for example, in lower quartile journals (Q3 and Q4), which have their own interested audience.
5. Instability of indicators
Every year, Scopus conducts a quartile analysis based on the CiteScore indicator. This means that a journal's ranking and prestige are not permanent. Thus, a scientist may expect to be published in a Q2 journal, but later its quartile may change to Q3 or vice versa. It is important to take this into account when submitting an article to a journal and to check only official data on the current position of the publication.
As we can see, despite their high quality and prestige, second quartile journals do not always guarantee success and recognition. Often, there are long queues, high article processing costs, strict requirements, and a lengthy publication process.
An alternative to Q1 and Q2 journals are Q3 and Q4 publications. Publishing in them can be more effective due to more lenient requirements for materials and lower competition. In addition, journals in these quartiles are more specialised, which gives researchers the opportunity to disseminate their work among the interested scientific community.
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