Developing and sustaining specialised fields and emerging disciplines
Q3 and Q4 journals play a critical role in building and sustaining specialised and emerging fields of research. They cater to smaller, discipline-specific academic communities, often acting as the primary – or only – publishing venue for research in these areas. While such fields may not attract high volumes of citations, the knowledge they generate is vital for advancing understanding and innovation.
“They publish more descriptive and observational studies. They may be chosen by beginning researchers, many as undergraduates. They can be basic data sources for more emerging analyses and hypotheses.”
Sandra Maria Hartz
Editor-in-Chief of Ornithology Research
Hartz also notes their importance for specific types of research, and “for studies of more local and regional importance.” This reinforces how these journals address unique research needs often overlooked by higher-impact journals, supporting the growth of diverse fields and regions.
Historically, researchers in these fields may have shared knowledge informally through conferences and personal networks. However, in today’s global research environment, word of mouth and personal communication through conferences is not an efficient or fair mechanism; these journals play a crucial role in fostering global knowledge sharing and driving equitable scientific progress.
Journal usage indicates the relevance of Q3 and Q4 journals to specific research communities
An analysis of Springer Nature’s journal usage showcases demand for this content, highlighting areas where niche, community journals are providing critical centres for specialist knowledge-sharing.
Across more than 80 disciplines, Springer Nature’s Q3 and Q4 journals generate over 50% of usage10, with 60 of these disciplines exclusively supported by Q3 and Q4 journals.
The 20 categories below (Fig.1) illustrate the high proportion of total item requests attributed to Q3 and Q4 journals, as well as unranked titles, within Springer Nature’s portfolio. These findings demonstrate their relevance and value for specific research communities.
10 Covers downloads and non-licensed access attempts (denials)
Figure 1: Total item requests (2019-2023) by title ranking and discipline
Table 1: Total item requests (2019-2023) by title ranking and discipline
|
Discipline |
No. Q1 + Q2 titles |
No. Q3, Q4 and unranked journals |
% of total item requests for Q3, Q4 and unranked journals |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Engineering, electrical & electronic |
1 |
8 |
96 |
|
Engineering, chemical |
1 |
6 |
89 |
|
Electrochemistry |
1 |
4 |
86 |
|
Environmental sciences |
6 |
16 |
82 |
|
Economics, business, finance |
1 |
3 |
73 |
|
Biochemistry & molecular biology |
2 |
9 |
72 |
|
Cardiac & cardiovascular systems |
8 |
13 |
62 |
|
Sociology |
2 |
6 |
60 |
|
Statistics & probability |
5 |
16 |
54 |
|
Gerontology |
1 |
3 |
54 |
|
Chemistry, medicinal, pharmacology & pharmacy |
1 |
3 |
54 |
|
Mathematical & computational biology |
2 |
4 |
54 |
|
Physics, mathematical |
2 |
2 |
53 |
|
Chemistry, inorganic & nuclear |
1 |
4 |
53 |
|
Automation & control systems |
1 |
3 |
53 |
|
Mathematics, applied, physics, mathematical |
1 |
2 |
52 |
|
Ophthalmology |
7 |
5 |
52 |
|
Engineering, civil |
3 |
3 |
51 |
|
Immunology |
2 |
3 |
51 |
|
Clinical neurology |
5 |
6 |
50 |
Case study
AIDS Research and Therapy
Journals like AIDS Research and Therapy (currently a Q3 journal) support clinically relevant research that may not meet the stringent novelty or dataset requirements of Q1 or Q2 journals. However, such research plays a vital role in shaping healthcare practices and informing policy, particularly in local and regional contexts.
“A lot of data that comes out from Africa will be a single case study, with limited population sizes based on funding… but when there are 20 published papers showing differentiated service delivery is working well, then you can have countries or organisations adopting these practices.”
Barbara Castelnuovo
Editor-in-Chief of AIDS Research and Therapy
This illustrates how collective evidence, even from smaller studies, can drive practical changes in clinical practice and policy. This is particularly important in specialist fields, such as HIV research in Africa and Southeast Asia.
Q3 and Q4 journals play a unique role in supporting this type of research. They provide a space to publish work that accommodates the inherent challenges faced by researchers in under-resourced areas – such as limited funding, smaller sample sizes, and fewer resources – while maintaining rigorous scientific standards to ensure quality.
These journals are instrumental in creating an inclusive and equitable publishing ecosystem that values the contributions of all researchers.
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