What is the difference between a Q1 and a Q2 journal?

A journal's quartile is its rank within a Scopus subject category by citation impact, where Q1 is the top 25 percent and Q2 the next 25 percent.

A journal's quartile is its rank within a Scopus subject category by citation impact, where Q1 is the top 25 percent and Q2 the next 25 percent. For Vietnamese researchers facing promotion and PhD requirements, knowing the real difference between Q1 and Q2 — and when each is the smarter target — often decides whether a paper is published on time or stuck in review for a year.

Quartiles look simple but hide important nuances: the same journal can be Q1 in one field and Q2 in another, and the labels are recalculated every year. This guide answers the seven questions Vietnamese postgraduate researchers ask MAAS publishing mentors most often about journal quartiles.

Author: MAAS Editorial Team · Reviewed by a Principal Publishing Advisory mentor (PhD, Scopus Q1 author and reviewer)
Last updated: 2026-06-02
Category: research-methods

What exactly is a journal quartile?

Direct answer: A quartile divides all journals in a subject category into four equal groups by a citation-impact metric, from best to worst. Q1 is the top 25 percent, Q2 the second 25 percent, Q3 the third, and Q4 the bottom quarter. The ranking is relative — it compares journals against others in the same field, not across all of science.

Evidence: Scimago Journal Rank (SJR) and Scopus CiteScore both publish quartile bands by subject category and year. SJR ranks journals using a citation metric weighted by the prestige of the citing journals, then splits each subject category into four quartiles. CiteScore, calculated by Scopus, uses average citations per document over a four-year window and also reports a quartile per category.

Example: A Vietnamese education researcher assumed "Q1" was an absolute global rank. Her MAAS mentor showed her on Scimago that quartile is computed within a single subject category — so a Q1 in a small specialist field and a Q1 in a large competitive field are both "Q1" but represent very different journal pools. Understanding this changed how she shortlisted her targets.

How is the difference between Q1 and Q2 actually measured?

Direct answer: The boundary between Q1 and Q2 is simply the 75th percentile line within a subject category. A journal just above it is Q1; a journal just below it is Q2. The two can be almost identical in quality — a tiny difference in citation metric can move a journal across the line in either direction from one year to the next.

Evidence: Because quartiles are recalculated annually by Scimago and Scopus, journals near a boundary routinely shift between Q1 and Q2 year to year as citation patterns change. This is why experienced authors treat the Q1/Q2 border as a band rather than a hard wall, and check the most recent year's ranking before submitting.

Example: A MAAS Publishing Advisory client targeted a journal listed as Q1 in an older reference, but her mentor checked the current Scimago data and found it had slipped to Q2 that year. They confirmed it still met her university's Q1/Q2 requirement and proceeded — the borderline status did not change the paper's value, only its label.

Does a journal have only one quartile?

Direct answer: No. A journal indexed in more than one subject category can hold a different quartile in each. The same journal might be Q1 in "Education" and Q2 in "Social Sciences (miscellaneous)." When a requirement says "Q1," you usually only need the journal to be Q1 in at least one of its categories, but always confirm which category your institution counts.

Evidence: Scimago lists every category a journal belongs to with its quartile in each, and many multidisciplinary journals show a spread of quartiles across categories. Scopus CiteScore similarly reports rank by each category the journal is indexed under.

Example: A Vietnamese finance candidate found her target journal was Q2 in "Finance" but Q1 in "Economics and Econometrics." Her MAAS mentor confirmed her department accepted the best-category quartile, so the journal qualified as Q1 for her promotion file. Without checking the per-category breakdown, she would have wrongly ruled it out.

Q1 vs Q2 at a glance — which should a Vietnamese researcher target?

Direct answer: Target the highest quartile where your paper is genuinely competitive, not the highest that exists. Q1 carries more prestige and citation reach but is more selective and slower; Q2 is widely accepted for most Vietnamese requirements and often faster. A realistic Q2 acceptance beats an unrealistic Q1 rejection every time.

Evidence: Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training recognises Scopus and Web of Science-indexed publications in its academic-title criteria, and most Vietnamese university promotion and PhD rules count both Q1 and Q2 toward the requirement. The table below summarises the practical trade-offs MAAS mentors weigh with each researcher.

Factor	Q1 journal	Q2 journal
Position in category	Top 25%	25–50%
Prestige / citation reach	Higher	Solid, field-respected
Selectivity	More competitive	More attainable
Typical review speed	Often slower	Often faster
Counts for MOET / most VN rules	Yes	Yes (usually equal weight)
Best for	Strongest papers, no hard deadline	Good papers on a timeline

Example: A MAAS-coached lecturer needed one Q-ranked paper for Associate Professor candidacy on a nine-month deadline. Rather than gamble on a slow Q1, her mentor set a well-fitted Q2 as the primary target. She was accepted in time and met the MOET criterion — the Q2 served her goal better than a riskier Q1 would have.

Is a Q1 paper always worth more than a Q2 paper for promotion?

Direct answer: Not necessarily. For most Vietnamese promotion and PhD criteria, Q1 and Q2 publications both satisfy the requirement, and a published Q2 is worth infinitely more than an unpublished Q1 still circulating in review. Where a funding scheme or ranking explicitly rewards Q1, weigh that against the realistic odds and timeline for your specific paper.

Evidence: MOET's academic-title framework and many institutional KPIs recognise Scopus/WoS-indexed Q1 and Q2 output; some competitive grants or university bonus schemes weight Q1 more heavily. The correct target therefore depends on your institution's exact rule, which a MAAS mentor checks before recommending a quartile strategy.

Example: A doctoral candidate believed only Q1 would "count" and delayed submission for months chasing one. Her MAAS mentor confirmed her programme accepted Q2 for graduation, redirected her to a strong Q2 with a faster turnaround, and she graduated on schedule. The fixation on Q1 had been costing her time with no real benefit.

How do you check a journal's current quartile reliably?

Direct answer: Verify the quartile on Scimago Journal Rank (SJR) for the most recent year and cross-check with Scopus CiteScore. Use the journal's per-category breakdown, not a single number from an email or the journal's own marketing. Always confirm the journal is still actively indexed in Scopus, because indexing can be discontinued.

Evidence: Scimago provides free, year-by-year quartile data by category, and Scopus publishes CiteScore quartiles on each source's page. Scopus periodically removes journals that fail quality checks, so a quartile cited from two years ago may no longer hold — verification against the current source list is essential.

Example: A Vietnamese researcher received an email claiming a journal was "Q1 Scopus." Her MAAS mentor checked Scimago and the Scopus source list, found the journal had been discontinued for quality reasons, and steered her to a legitimately indexed Q2 instead. Verifying the current quartile protected both her record and her fees.

How do you decide between a borderline Q1 and a safe Q2 for one paper?

Direct answer: Weigh three things: how close the paper's fit is to each journal's scope, your deadline, and the journal's review speed. If the Q1 is a strong scope fit and you have time, try it first with the Q2 as a planned backup. If the deadline is tight or the Q1 fit is shaky, lead with the Q2. Decide the full sequence before submitting so a rejection becomes an instant redirect.

Evidence: Because journals require exclusive submission — you may submit to only one at a time — a pre-planned tiered shortlist is the only way to keep momentum. MAAS journal matching uses scope fit, citation-network alignment, and realistic acceptance probability to rank a primary, backup, and fallback target for each paper.

Example: A MAAS client had a borderline Q1 and a safe Q2 in mind. Her mentor judged the Q1 scope fit excellent and her timeline comfortable, so they submitted to the Q1 first with the Q2 pre-loaded as backup. The Q1 returned a major revision and ultimately accepted — and if it had not, she could have moved to the Q2 within days.

Frequently asked questions

Is Q1 always better than Q2?
Q1 has higher citation impact within its category, but a Q2 where your paper genuinely fits is a better choice than a Q1 where it does not. Most Vietnamese promotion and PhD rules accept both Q1 and Q2.

Can the same journal be Q1 and Q2 at the same time?
Yes. A journal indexed in several subject categories can be Q1 in one and Q2 in another. Check the per-category breakdown on Scimago and confirm which category your institution counts.

Do journal quartiles change over time?
Yes. Scimago and Scopus recalculate quartiles every year, so a journal near the Q1/Q2 border can move between them. Always check the most recent year before you submit.

What is the difference between SJR and CiteScore quartiles?
Both rank journals into quartiles by citation impact within a category. SJR (Scimago) weights citations by the prestige of the citing journal; CiteScore (Scopus) uses average citations per document over four years. They usually agree closely.

Does MOET in Vietnam require Q1 specifically?
MOET recognises Scopus and Web of Science-indexed publications in its academic-title criteria; most rules accept both Q1 and Q2. Confirm your exact institutional requirement, as some grants weight Q1 more.

Can MAAS help me decide between a Q1 and a Q2 target?
Yes. MAAS Publishing Advisory coaches Vietnamese researchers through quartile strategy, scope-fit analysis, and building a tiered shortlist, using the Outline → Draft → Final model. Book a consultation through our contact page.

Ready to pick the right quartile for your paper?

The Q1-versus-Q2 decision is not about prestige alone — it is about matching your paper's strength, scope, and deadline to the journal most likely to publish it. MAAS Publishing Advisory pairs you with a PhD-level mentor — 23% of our experts hold doctorates — for a free 20-minute consultation, matches you to the right advisor within 48 hours, and backs every engagement with our three-tier Pass / Merit / Distinction guarantee and a 90-day post-submission warranty. We coach; you stay the author, every step.

Book a Publishing Advisory consultation with MAAS Academic Mentoring →

How do you choose the right Scopus journal for your paper? — the full journal-matching method this quartile decision sits inside
How does a Vietnamese researcher get published in a Scopus Q1 or Q2 journal? — the end-to-end publication journey
How do you respond to reviewer comments on a Scopus journal submission? — the revision stage after your chosen journal sends reviews
Publishing Advisory service — full service tiers for Scopus Q1/Q2 support
Scopus Publishing resource hub — journal-matching and shortlist templates

References

This article is part of the MAAS Journal series for Vietnamese international postgraduate students and researchers. MAAS Publishing Advisory is an advisory partner — we coach authors through the Outline → Draft → Final delivery model with developmental feedback from PhD-level, Scopus-published mentors. We do not write, submit, or guarantee acceptance of work on an author's behalf.