As I’ve executed yearly for the final 15 years, I can now current the 2022 conservation / ecology / sustainability journal ranks based mostly on my (printed) journal-ranking methodology.
Though each the Clarivate (Affect Issue, Journal Quotation Indicator, Immediacy Index) and Scopus (CiteScore, Supply-Normalised Affect Per Paper, SCImago Journal Rank) values have been out for a couple of month or so, the Google (h5-index, h5-median) scores solely got here out yesterday.
This 12 months’s additionally a bit bizarre from the attitude of the Clarivate ranks. First, Affect Elements will not be offered to a few important digits, however solely to at least one (e.g., 7.2 versus 7.162). That’s not such a giant deal, however it does appropriate for relative ranks based mostly on false precision. Nonetheless, the most important adjustments are extra methdological — Affect Elements now take on-line articles into consideration (within the denominator), so most journals can have a decrease Affect Issue this 12 months in comparison with final. In truth, of the 105 journals within the ecology/conservation/multidisciplinary class which have knowledge for each 2021 and 2022, the 2022 Affect Elements are a median 15% decrease than the 2021 values.
One other impact in play seems to have been the pandemic. The worst of the pandemic occurred proper throughout the evaluation interval, and I’m fairly positive that is mirrored each when it comes to the variety of articles printed (down a median of 10%) and whole variety of citations within the evaluation interval (down 7%) per journal.
However utilizing my methodology, these adjustments a considerably irrelevant as a result of I calculate relative ranks, not an absolute rating.
I due to this fact current the new 2022 ranks for: (i) 108 ecology, conservation and multidisciplinary journals, (ii) 28 open-access (i.e., it’s important to pay) journals from the earlier class, (iii) 66 ‘ecology’ journals, (iv) 31 ‘conservation’ journals, (v) 43 ‘sustainability’ journals (with normal and energy-focussed journals included), and (vi) 21 ‘marine & freshwater’ journals.
Listed here are the outcomes:
(i) ecology, conservation and multidisciplinary
Right here’s a extra focussed record of the top-20 journals from above:
Not quite a lot of change from final 12 months, however One Earth does make it into the highest 20 in 2022.
From the complete pattern above, right here is the rating for the 28 journals which can be open-access, when you fancy paying a number of hundreds (if not tens of hundreds) of {dollars}/euros/kilos for the privilege:
(ii) ecology journals
Not many adjustments for the ecology journals, however One Earth once more has leap-frogged many competing journals and now locations 8th amongst these 66 ecology journals. Individuals and Nature has additionally entered the highest 20 this 12 months.
Right here’s a better have a look at the top-20 from that final record:
(iii) conservation journals
Right here is essentially the most attention-grabbing record for ConservationBytes.com readers:
There aren’t any actually putting adjustments right here both, however Conservation Biology has moved barely forward of Organic Conservation, and One Earth and Individuals and Nature are additionally doing nicely on this class.
(iv) sustainability journals
Within the ‘sustainability’ journals (together with some general-category ones too), not a lot has modified since final 12 months:
(v) marine and freshwater journals
Not a lot change right here both since final 12 months:
So, there you will have it. Regardless of some moderately massive adjustments in the way in which Affect Elements are calculated and the epidemic-related slowdown, not lots has modified when it comes to relative ranks.
You’ll be able to entry the uncooked knowledge for 2022 and use my RShiny app to derive your personal samples of journal ranks.
See additionally the earlier years’ rankings (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008).
