Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4: How to Know If a Journal or Conference Is Good
Impact Factor, CiteScore, Scopus, Web of Science, H-index, CORE rankings, conference reputation, predatory journals, paper mills and the practical checks every researcher should perform before submitting a paper.
Choosing where to submit a research paper is itself a research skill. A journal can have a high impact factor but still be unsuitable for your topic. A conference can be indexed but have little reputation in your research community. A publication venue can even look legitimate while operating as a predatory publisher or paper mill.
Therefore, researchers should never judge a publication venue using one number or one website alone. The right approach is to evaluate indexing, ranking, reputation, scope, editorial quality, peer review, metrics and research-community recognition together.
Journal, conference or local venue?
Different research communities value different publication channels. Before comparing rankings, understand what type of venue you are actually evaluating.
Journal
A journal publishes research articles through an editorial and peer-review process. Journals are commonly evaluated using indexing, quartiles, citation metrics, reputation and scope.
International Conference
Conferences can be particularly important in fields such as computer science, where major conferences may have strong research communities and highly selective peer review.
Local Conference
Local conferences can provide valuable opportunities for presentation, networking and early research experience. However, local recognition should not automatically be treated as equivalent to an internationally recognized venue.
Ranked Conference
Some computer science conferences are evaluated through community ranking systems such as CORE. Ranking systems are useful signals, but they should be considered alongside selectivity, reputation and research relevance.
What do Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 actually mean?
Quartiles divide journals within a particular subject category according to their position in a ranking system. They should not be interpreted as universal grades that apply equally across all disciplines.
Top Quartile
Generally represents journals positioned in the top 25% of a specific ranking category.
Second Quartile
Generally represents journals positioned between the 25th and 50th percentile range.
Third Quartile
Generally represents journals positioned between the 50th and 75th percentile range.
Fourth Quartile
Generally represents journals positioned in the lower quartile of that particular ranking category.
Scopus and Web of Science
Indexing is one of the first things researchers should verify, but "indexed" should never be treated as the only measure of quality.
Scopus is a major abstract and citation database covering journals, conferences and other scholarly literature.
- Check whether the exact journal is indexed.
- Check the current source information.
- Check subject area and coverage.
- Do not trust only a publisher's logo.
Web of Science provides curated citation indexes and is widely used for research evaluation and bibliometric analysis.
- Verify the exact journal title.
- Check the relevant collection or index.
- Check current coverage.
- Verify claims through official sources.
Impact Factor, CiteScore and H-index
Citation metrics attempt to describe citation activity, but different metrics use different databases and calculation methods. They should therefore not be treated as interchangeable.
Journal Impact Factor
A journal-level citation metric associated with Journal Citation Reports and Clarivate.
CiteScore
A Scopus-based journal and serial citation metric provided by Elsevier.
H-index
Measures a combination of publication output and citation impact for an author, group or publication venue depending on how it is being applied.
An Impact Factor, CiteScore and H-index are not three versions of the same number. Always check what the metric measures, which database provides it and what entity it describes.
How do you evaluate a conference?
Conference evaluation is especially important in computer science. A conference should not be judged only because it has an "international" name or because it claims to be indexed.
Research Community
Are established researchers in your field publishing or attending the conference?
Program Committee
Who are the reviewers and program committee members?
Acceptance Rate
Is the acceptance rate transparent and consistent with the conference's claimed selectivity?
Proceedings
Where are accepted papers published and archived?
Ranking
Does the field recognize a ranking or classification system such as CORE?
History
Does the conference have a credible history and consistent research community?
What does a CORE-ranked conference mean?
CORE classifications have historically been used within computer science to communicate the perceived standing of conferences. When using a ranking, researchers should check the current classification and the specific conference.
How to determine whether a journal is actually good
Does the journal genuinely publish research in your area?
Is the exact journal currently indexed in the claimed database?
What is its current quartile within the relevant subject category?
Are the editors identifiable and active researchers?
Is the peer-review process clearly described?
Is the publisher established and transparent about its practices?
Does the journal clearly address plagiarism, conflicts, corrections and retractions?
Do researchers in your field actually recognize and publish there?
What is a predatory journal?
Predatory publishing refers to deceptive or exploitative publishing practices that can prioritize fees over legitimate scholarly publishing and peer review.
Guaranteed Acceptance
Claims that your manuscript will definitely be accepted or published extremely quickly.
Fake Metrics
Unknown or misleading "impact factors" presented as if they were established journal metrics.
False Indexing Claims
The journal claims indexing that cannot be verified through the relevant database.
Unclear Editorial Board
Editors are difficult to verify, unrelated to the field, or appear without credible affiliations.
Aggressive Solicitation
Repeated generic emails asking researchers to submit papers without meaningful relevance to their work.
Unrealistic Speed
Peer review and publication are promised in an unusually short period without credible explanation.
What is a paper mill?
A paper mill is an organization or operation that produces or sells fraudulent or low-integrity scholarly manuscripts, authorship positions or publication-related services.
Paper mills are different from legitimate research support.
Legitimate editing, statistical consulting or language assistance does not mean purchasing authorship, fabricated research, manipulated data or a manuscript intended to deceive the scholarly publishing system.
Paying for a position on a manuscript without making the required scholarly contribution.
Research data or results are invented rather than genuinely collected or analyzed.
Images or experimental figures are manipulated to create misleading evidence.
Similar or recycled manuscripts are produced and submitted across multiple venues.
Before submitting your paper, follow this process
Does your research genuinely fit?
Who publishes the journal or conference?
Check Scopus or Web of Science directly where applicable.
Review the relevant citation metrics and their source.
Understand what ranking system is being used.
Look for transparent peer review and publication ethics.
Ask whether researchers in your field recognize the venue.
Only after the evidence supports the venue.
What should you look at?
| Signal | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Q1–Q4 | Relative position within a ranking category. | That every Q1 journal is equally suitable. |
| Impact Factor | A journal-level citation metric. | That the journal is automatically appropriate for your paper. |
| CiteScore | A Scopus-based citation metric. | That the journal has strong peer review solely because of the score. |
| H-index | A citation-based measure combining output and citations. | Complete research quality or scientific contribution. |
| Scopus | Coverage in a major abstract and citation database. | That the venue is automatically prestigious. |
| Web of Science | Coverage in a curated citation database. | That indexing alone guarantees research quality. |
| Conference Ranking | A signal of perceived standing within a field. | That ranking is the only measure of conference quality. |
Good publication strategy is evidence-based.
A strong researcher does not choose a journal because someone says "Q1", "Scopus", "high impact factor" or "international conference". Instead, they investigate the venue from multiple independent signals.
Check indexing and claims from authoritative sources.
Understand metrics, quartiles and rankings correctly.
Look at editors, peer review, publisher and reputation.
Avoid predatory publishing and paper-mill practices.
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