When choosing a journal to publish a Scopus or WoS article, it is worth paying attention to many scientometric indicators, credibility of the edition and its conscientiousness. The self-citation percentage is one of the main metrics, that can indicate the predatory activity of the journal. That is why let’s consider, how to determine the self-citation rate of a journal, what percentage of self-citation is acceptable, and how to successfully publish an article in Scopus and Web of Science.
What percentage of self-citation is acceptable?
There are such types of self-citation in the modern scientometric world: classified by country, scientific organization, journal, author, subject. This metric is calculated as the ratio of all citations of journal articles to those that were published by the edition, in the context of which the metric is calculated. Ideally, self-citation should not exceed 15-20%.
If this percentage exceeds 50-55%, it is highly not recommended to publish works in it. Most likely, such an edition will be excluded from the database in the near future. It is also worth pointing out, that a high self-citation rate is sometimes allowed, but only for very highly specialized journals.
The authoritative journals Scopus and Web of Science always monitor the normative indicators of self-citation metrics. Let’s consider, how to determine this indicator within the framework of the most influential databases.
Scopus journals and self-citation
The self-citation indicator in Scopus is not placed within the database itself, but on the websites of partners who specialize in calculating SNIP and SJR metrics.
CWTS Journal Indicators (SNIP)
One of the most convenient resources for determining the self-citation rate is the Leiden University website - CWTS Journal Indicators.
It is required to go to the “Indicators” tab and set the necessary filters:
- By field of knowledge and discipline of research.
- By name, ISSN, publisher of the required journal.
- By the required metric (within the framework of the article, we are interested in % self cit (percentage of journal self-citations).
- By year of analysis.
- By source type and number of displays per page.
Select the required edition, click on it. The page will display an extended description of the indicators of your interest.
Scimago Journal & Country Rank (SJR)
Using the search, find the edition of your interest and open its profile. Pay attention to the graph "Total Cites /Self- Cites"
Green indicates the total number of citations by year, and orange indicates self-citations. To calculate the exact percentage, hover over the year of interest on both charts and compare the results.
For example, regarding the journal on the chart for 2021:
36 (self-citations) / 17959 (total citations) = 0.002*100% = 0.2%
The journal has a low percentage of self-citations.
Web of Science journals and self-citation
In order to select the most relevant journal and publish a Web of Science article, it is necessary to pay attention to the self-citation rate of the journals. This can be defined within the framework of the base itself.
- Log in to the database, and configure the search parameters by the name of the journal "Publication Titles".
- Create a «Citations Report».
- Set the citation parameters for the period of your interest and select the "Analize" function.
- Then it is required to select a filter by the name of the journal to determine the percentage of citations from each ("Publication Titles").
- It is necessary to look for the required edition and its citation percentage of the total. Therefore, it is possible to find out, what percentage of the total number of citations falls on self-citation.
As it is possible to see, the journal has a low percentage of self-citations.
Also, it is necessary to pay attention, that self-citation indicators (as well as other metrics) may differ depending on the database for the same edition, because the analysis is guided by different indicators and calculation systems.
Please take into consideration, that when choosing a journal for publication in Scopus and Web of Science, it is not worth focusing only on the self-citation rate.
The process of choosing an edition is complex and paying attention to the percentage of self-citations is especially important. In addition to it, it is not worth neglecting the analysis of other important metrics, the site of the edition, the process of forming issues and the level of materials that are published there.
If a Scopus or Web of Science publication is required, do not hesitate to contact the Scientific Publications company. Our specialists pay special attention to the selection process of articles, communicate with representatives of more than 200 scientific journals to determine the appropriate edition for the publication. Just leave a request on the site, we will be glad to cooperate!
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