I have read some high quality articles published in lowly ranked journals, and I have also read some low quality articles published in highly ranked journals.
In computer science, I have appreciated that high ranking journals are more demanding than low ranking ones.
Thank you for your response, Jesús Pérez. High ranking journals are indeed more demanding. This leads to high rejection rates - as high as 95% in some cases. Does this not cause some high quality articles to be re-directed to low ranking journals? In addition, how objective is the criteria used for rejection by high ranking journals, and do low ranking journals really use less demanding criteria?
Oswell - there is an 'assumed' direct correlation between a journal ranking and the quality of its articles - but this is a 'variable feast'. Even high-ranked journals 'often' publish 'average' quality articles. Usually, this is dependent on the quality of the reviewers which is often highly variable. Other factors may be in play. For instance, a well established and ranked journal that has a new administration/editorial panel that is not as 'good' asd the previous - yet the journal retains its rank for a period of time.
Dean Whitehead I couldn't agree with you more. Just as a book should not be judged by its cover, an article should not be judged by its journal.
Mostly yes. Because journals with high impact factor are reviewed with top experts in the field; usually 5-6 reviewers, therefore it is difficult for a paper with no solid grounds or not moving the field forward to get published in these journals. However, not all articles published in these journals get high citations or even get cited. I think there is a paper that should about one-third of papers do not receive citations.
Samy Azer thank you for your response. You make an interesting observation that some articles in journals with a high impact factor get low citations or do not get cited at all.
Wazir Ali thank you for your response. ResearchGate is a good place to gain the experience you need to write a high quality article. It contains a wide range of articles, some of which will inspire you to also want to write your own. The adage "A good reader makes a good writer" also applies to us on ResearchGate. Seeing how other researchers write their articles, and finding out what types of articles are published in which journals certainly helps. Finally, be original.
Dear Oswell Namasasu,
There is usually this kind of correlation between journals and their articles, but there are usually exceptions to almost every rule. The editorial offices of journals usually care about the standards and quality of articles published in them, because in this way they build their recognition and reputation.
Best regards,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Dear Dariusz Prokopowicz ,
Thank you for your response. I very much agree with you. However, I wonder if the concern by highly ranked journals about recognition and reputation does not deter them from publishing iconoclastic articles leaving lowly ranked journals as the only viable option. Does this not lead to their propagation of largely mainstream perspectives? Would a modern 'Galileo' be published in a highly ranked journal today?
Usually yes, the ranking of a journal relate to the quality of articles that it publishes, but not always.
Dear Mohammad Abdulhai ,
Thank you for your response. I agree that 'the ranking of a journal relates to the quality of articles it publishes, but not always.' Perhaps, we also need to revisit the notion of quality in research. Is it something that is objective and value free? Or is it, like beauty, in the eyes of the beholder (in this case the editor and reviewer)?
Dear Muhammad Arshad , Othman Muayad Mohammed Tofeq , Rajlakshmi Kanjilal
and M.K. Tripathi ,Thank you for your informative answers.
Journal ranking is widely used in academic circles in the evaluation of an academic journal's impact and quality. Journal rankings are intended to reflect the place of a journal within its field, the relative difficulty of being published in that journal, and the prestige associated with it.
Please see the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journal_ranking
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