In recent years, China has looked to position itself as the world’s largest producer of scientific knowledge, and the data certainly seems to support this.1 As of September 22, 2024, figures from Incites, based on Web of Science documents, show that China led global academic production with 1,293,317 publications and a remarkable 2,792,765 citations for the period between 2023 and 2024.
This table was retrieved from the Clarivate Analytics InCites database on September 22, 2024. It shows the ranking of countries by total Times Cited their publications received during the 2023-2024 period.
This dominance reflects China’s substantial investment in scientific research, with the country spending more than $1 billion annually on academic publishing alone.2 However, beyond contributing significantly to international journals, China has recently focused on building a robust domestic journal portfolio. This shift marks a strategic move towards reducing dependence on international publishers and looking to assert more control over the academic publishing landscape, a trend that appears poised to reshape global scholarly communication.
China’s strategic pivot towards bolstering its domestic journal portfolio is not just an internal shift, but one with far-reaching global implications. As Chinese researchers increasingly prioritize local journals, international journals will begin to feel the potential effects of this shift. This change in emphasis coincides with broader trends in the post-pandemic world, where Journal Impact Factors are experiencing a general decline. While the pandemic initially inflated JIFs due to the surge in COVID-related research, the 2024 Clarivate Analytics Journal Citation Reports reveal a marked reversal, with an average 14% decrease across publishers.
However, it is critical to recognize that JIF is not the sole measure of a journal’s scientific quality. It is influenced by external factors, such as the volume of research output and the number of citations per year. Thus, publishers can shift their focus towards metrics like their ranking within subject categories and JIF percentile. These metrics give a more holistic view of journal performance and can guide editorial strategies more effectively than a singular focus on Impact Factor.
One key takeaway from this ongoing shift is the importance of bibliometric analysis, especially as China’s inward-looking strategy begins to impact global journal rankings. Bibliometric analysis can help publishers understand how their journals are performing in relation to competitors, identify geographic and subject-specific gaps, and uncover growth opportunities. Additionally, it can reveal the journal’s scientific strengths and weaknesses, helping publishers refine their editorial strategies to ensure sustained growth and quality.
As the global publishing environment continues to evolve, performance analysis becomes increasingly critical. Journals that rely solely on Impact Factor as a benchmark risk missing out on valuable insights that could drive growth. A comprehensive approach to performance analysis, focusing on a range of metrics, will ensure that journals stay competitive in this rapidly changing landscape.
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Maverick understands the challenges publishers face in this evolving landscape. Our tailored solutions include automated workflows, data analytics, and strategic reporting designed to help journals improve their performance. By offering tools that allow for deep analysis of international collaborations, author contributions, and submission trends, Maverick enables publishers to develop actionable roadmaps for enhancing their journal’s visibility and impact.
Our unique structure allows us to assemble teams with the exact skills needed to support each project. Contact your Maverick representative or info@maverick-os.com for a free consultation.
By Mert Köse, Affiliate Senior Associate
Mert Köse is an academic publishing professional and a lecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University’s media communication department with extensive experience in open-access publishing. He has worked as an M&A representative at Frontiers. Mert has extensive expertise in STM publishing, particularly in editorial development, journal management, and bibliometric analysis. Previously, Mert served as a Research & Development manager at Galenos. He presented a conference on predatory journals at the interdisciplinary Ph.D. communication conference at İstanbul Bilgi University in 2021.
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