Which Structural Engineering Journal ?

Last week Thomson Reuters published 2014 journal citation report. So, I think it is interesting to compare structural engineering journals rankings.

Which Structural Engineering Journal ? this is a very important question specially for early career researchers. Usually for reviewers who evaluate project proposals publication list is important. Based on my own experience they check two parameters: JIF Quartile and Impact Factor.

What is JIF Quartile? Quartiles comes from descriptive statistics. The quartiles of a ranked set of data values are the three points that divide the data set into four equal groups. Q1 is defined as the middle number between the smallest number and the median of the data set. The second quartile Q2 is the median of the data. Q3 is the middle value between the median and the highest value of the data set. So, every year JIF Quatile “will be determined for each journal in each of its subject categories according to which quartile of the IF distribution the journal occupies for that subject category. To summarise: Q1 denotes the top 25% of the impact factor distribution, Q2 for middle-high position (between top 50% and top 25%), Q3 middle-low position (top 75% to top 50%), and Q4 the lowest position (bottom 25% of the impact factor distribution).”

Obviously in evaluations, the best mark is for journal that are in Q1 and then the lowest mark is for Q2 journals. They usually don’t count journals that are in Q3 and Q4.

Below table summarises information that published by Thomson Reuters including the JIF Quartile for structural engineering related journals. Thirteen journals are in Q1 and the lowest impact factor is 1.504 (Journal of Structural Engineering (ASCE)). However, the 5 year impact factor should also be counted to have better idea for submitting a paper. Twenty one journals are in Q2 and their impact factor is between 0.94-1.42. Eighteen journals are in Q3 with impact factor between 0.5-0.92. Finally, twenty journals are in Q4 with impact factor between 0.1-0.5.

It is always better to consider last year impact factor and for researchers in structural engineering filed the recommendation is to submit their papers to journals with impact factor above 1.0. Impact factor above 1.0 in Civil/Structural Engineering related journal means they are in Q1 or Q2.

Recently, Elsevier published the acceptance rate for journals which researchers should take it into account.

Take a look at below table and find the impact factor 2014, JIF Quartile and 5 year impact factor for structural engineering journals.

Rank Full Journal Title JCR Abbreviated Title Impact Factor 2014 JIF Quartile* 5-Year Impact Factor
1 COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING COMPUT-AIDED CIV INF 4.925 Q1 4.021
2 JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES FOR CONSTRUCTION J COMPOS CONSTR 2.483 Q1 2.457
3 EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING & STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS EARTHQ ENG STRUCT D 2.305 Q1 2.502
4 CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS CONSTR BUILD MATER 2.296 Q1 2.71
5 COMPUTERS & STRUCTURES COMPUT STRUCT 2.134 Q1 2.528
6 Structural Control & Health Monitoring STRUCT CONTROL HLTH 2.133 Q1 2.309
7 ENGINEERING STRUCTURES ENG STRUCT 1.838 Q1 2.152
8 AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION AUTOMAT CONSTR 1.812 Q1 2.414
9 Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering ARCH CIV MECH ENG 1.793 Q1 1.486
10 THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES THIN WALL STRUCT 1.749 Q1 1.883
11 MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES MATER STRUCT 1.714 Q1 1.892
12 STRUCTURAL SAFETY STRUCT SAF 1.675 Q1 2.784
13 JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING J STRUCT ENG 1.504 Q1 1.911
14 Structural Concrete STRUCT CONCRETE 1.492 Q2 1.123
15 TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY TUNN UNDERGR SP TECH 1.49 Q2 1.833
16 Structure and Infrastructure Engineering STRUCT INFRASTRUCT E 1.454 Q2 1.53
17 JOURNAL OF WIND ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL AERODYNAMICS J WIND ENG IND AEROD 1.414 Q2 1.864
18 Smart Structures and Systems SMART STRUCT SYST 1.368 Q2 1.352
19 COLD REGIONS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLD REG SCI TECHNOL 1.367 Q2 1.68
20 JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTIONAL STEEL RESEARCH J CONSTR STEEL RES 1.321 Q2 1.699
21 EARTHQUAKE SPECTRA EARTHQ SPECTRA 1.321 Q2 1.474
22 JOURNAL OF MATERIALS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING J MATER CIVIL ENG 1.296 Q2 1.54
23 MARINE STRUCTURES MAR STRUCT 1.278 Q2 1.764
24 Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures LAT AM J SOLIDS STRU 1.272 Q2 1.411
25 JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING J COMPUT CIVIL ENG 1.268 Q2 1.616
26 JOURNAL OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING J EARTHQ ENG 1.175 Q2 1.355
27 ACI STRUCTURAL JOURNAL ACI STRUCT J 1.089 Q2 1.452
28 Journal of Civil Engineering and Management J CIV ENG MANAG 1.07 Q2 1.126
29 Journal of Bridge Engineering J BRIDGE ENG 1.065 Q2 1.231
30 Journal of Infrastructure Systems J INFRASTRUCT SYST 1.049 Q2 1.299
31 International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials INT J CONCR STRUCT M 1.019 Q2
32 STEEL AND COMPOSITE STRUCTURES STEEL COMPOS STRUCT 0.964 Q2 0.922
33 FIRE SAFETY JOURNAL FIRE SAFETY J 0.957 Q2 1.681
34 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TALL AND SPECIAL BUILDINGS STRUCT DES TALL SPEC 0.944 Q2 1.219
35 STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS STRUCT ENG MECH 0.927 Q3 0.827
36 Computers and Concrete COMPUT CONCRETE 0.869 Q3 0.789
37 JOURNAL OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING J AEROSPACE ENG 0.839 Q3 0.986
38 JOURNAL OF SHIP RESEARCH J SHIP RES 0.821 Q3 1.098
39 JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY J MAR SCI TECH-JAPAN 0.805 Q3 1.031
40 Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Engineering Sustainability P I CIVIL ENG-ENG SU 0.768 Q3 0.862
41 Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering BALT J ROAD BRIDGE E 0.766 Q3 0.703
42 International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics INT J STRUCT STAB DY 0.764 Q3 0.885
43 Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Vibration EARTHQ ENG ENG VIB 0.729 Q3 0.951
44 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS-CIVIL ENGINEERING P I CIVIL ENG-CIV EN 0.714 Q3 0.535
45 Earthquakes and Structures EARTHQ STRUCT 0.693 Q3 0.827
46 JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES J PERFORM CONSTR FAC 0.631 Q3 0.873
47 Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology J ADV CONCR TECHNOL 0.618 Q3 0.772
48 Advanced Steel Construction ADV STEEL CONSTR 0.6 Q3 0.613
49 WIND AND STRUCTURES WIND STRUCT 0.584 Q3 0.822
50 JOURNAL OF COLD REGIONS ENGINEERING J COLD REG ENG 0.583 Q3 0.538
51 ADVANCES IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING ADV STRUCT ENG 0.582 Q3 0.685
52 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING CAN J CIVIL ENG 0.556 Q3 0.589
53 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OFFSHORE AND POLAR ENGINEERING INT J OFFSHORE POLAR 0.517 Q4 0.551
54 European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering EUR J ENVIRON CIV EN 0.514 Q4 0.503
55 CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS CIV ENG ENVIRON SYST 0.512 Q4 0.855
56 International Journal of Steel Structures INT J STEEL STRUCT 0.505 Q4 0.659
57 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS-STRUCTURES AND BUILDINGS P I CIVIL ENG-STR B 0.494 Q4 0.553
58 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering KSCE J CIV ENG 0.484 Q4 0.615
59 Beton- und Stahlbetonbau BETON- STAHLBETONBAU 0.475 Q4 0.44
60 International Journal of Civil Engineering INT J CIV ENG 0.468 Q4 0.711
61 Structural Engineering International STRUCT ENG INT 0.414 Q4
62 Journal of Fire Protection Engineering J FIRE PROT ENG 0.385 Q4 0.477
63 Iranian Journal of Science and Technology-Transactions of Civil Engineering IJST-T CIV ENG 0.333 Q4 0.304
64 Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering J S AFR INST CIV ENG 0.315 Q4 0.364
65 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS-MARITIME ENGINEERING P I CIVIL ENG-MAR EN 0.312 Q4 0.438
66 CIVIL ENGINEERING CIVIL ENG 0.269 Q4 0.208
67 Periodica Polytechnica-Civil Engineering PERIOD POLYTECH-CIV 0.261 Q4 0.455
68 Revista de la Construccion REV CONSTR 0.234 Q4 0.187
69 Stahlbau STAHLBAU 0.219 Q4 0.24
70 Gradevinar GRADEVINAR 0.202 Q4 0.121
71 Bautechnik BAUTECHNIK 0.174 Q4 0.207
72 ENGINEERING JOURNAL-AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION ENG J AISC 0.143 Q4 0.239
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