A journal score is useful only when it belongs to the right journal, the current data snapshot, and a relevant comparison field. Start by matching the exact title and ISSNs, then read the score together with its quartile and source context.
Current metric definition
The Journal Metrics Score is the two-year mean citedness of a journal, computed from OpenAlex (CC0) data: citations received in the most recent complete year to works published in the two prior years, divided by the number of those works. Quartiles rank journals within each OpenAlex subfield by score.
Updated August 2026 · 2-year citation average from OpenAlex data · Data source: OpenAlex (CC0)
1. Confirm the exact journal identity
Similar titles, abbreviations, translated names, and journal families can point to different records. Match the full title and at least one ISSN before using any metric in a submission decision.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Confirm the exact title and ISSNs before comparing its score.
JAMA Network Open
Use the title-level record instead of a journal-family name.
IEEE Access
Check the current score, quartile, and field placement together.
Journal of Molecular Structure
Compare the record only with journals in a relevant subfield.
2. Check the release and source
Use the 2026 Journal Metrics Score only when the record identifies the current release. Cached pages, copied lists, and search snippets can show older values without their snapshot date or calculation method.
Journal Metrics computes this score from OpenAlex data. Metrics built from other databases can use different coverage, work types, and citation windows, so similarly shaped numbers should not be treated as interchangeable.
3. Read the quartile inside its subfield
Q1 through Q4 describe a journal's position among journals in an OpenAlex subfield after sorting by Journal Metrics Score. A quartile is field-relative; it is not a universal quality label and does not make scores from unrelated disciplines directly comparable.
4. Compare more than one signal
Check scope, recent article types, readership, indexing, access model, fees, and editorial practices alongside the score. The strongest submission target is usually the journal that fits the work and its audience, not simply the record with the largest number.
5. Keep a short verification record
Save the journal title, ISSNs, snapshot date, score, subfield, and quartile used in your comparison. This makes later review easier when journal records or annual citation data change.