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Journal Evaluation · Lookup Portals

CAS Journal Ranking Lookup

Search by journal title or ISSN, verify the journal identity in the corresponding platform, then record the ranking system, year, broad category, and subcategory.

Acadwrite Team
Direct answer: First identify which system your application or submission requires, then search the correct year using the journal title and ISSN. Never relabel a JCR Q1 result as CAS Zone 1.

Choose a lookup platform

CAS Journal Ranking

Official platform · Search by title or ISSN

JCR

Clarivate · JCR categories and quartiles

AbleSci Journal Lookup

Public lookup · Impact factor and rankings

Journal title + ISSNChoose the year first
Zone 1High impact
Zone 2Relatively high impact
Zone 3Moderate impact
Zone 4Other indexed journals
SystemYearCategory

Check the Official 2026 Status First

This step filters out the most common year-related misinformation on “latest list” pages.

Current Official Platform Notice

The official journal-ranking platform states that the National Science Library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences will stop updating and publishing the ranking table from 2026. If a page claims to provide the “latest 2026 CAS ranking,” verify whether it reorganizes an older edition, uses an institution-specific system, or simply mislabels the year.

CAS Rankings and JCR Quartiles Cannot Be Converted

Both are casually described as “zones,” but they are not the same table.

ComparisonCAS journal rankingJCR quartile
PublisherA team associated with the National Science Library, CASClarivate's Journal Citation Reports
Common notationZones 1, 2, 3, and 4, with category-specific resultsQ1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 within JCR categories
What to verifyYear, edition, broad/subcategory, and journal ISSNJCR year, category, rank, and quartile
Interchangeable?NoNo

How to Look Up a CAS Ranking

Lock down the journal identity, then the edition, and finally the result record.

  1. Confirm the journal identity

    Copy the full title and ISSN from the journal site or a database to avoid namesakes and title changes.

  2. Confirm the target year

    Research assessment often requires a specific year; a current webpage cannot automatically replace the publication-year record.

  3. Confirm the category scope

    Check both broad and narrow categories rather than presenting either one as the journal's only ranking.

  4. Save the evidence

    Record the system, year, category, zone, and query date, and retain institutional proof when needed.

What a Verifiable Ranking Record Should Contain

Writing only “Zone 1” removes the context needed for verification.

Journal: full title
ISSN: xxxx-xxxx
Evaluation system: CAS journal ranking / JCR
Data year: 20xx
Category: broad / subcategory or JCR Category
Result: exact zone or quartile
Query date and source: yyyy-mm-dd + official entry point

Do Not Choose a Journal by One Ranking Alone

Ranking is one filter, not the entire submission decision.

  • Does the research topic genuinely fit the journal's scope?
  • Has the journal consistently published similar methods and subjects in recent years?
  • Which system and year does your institution recognize?
  • Are the review time, open-access fee, and data policies acceptable?
  • Is the journal still stably indexed in the target database?
  • Can you verify the editorial website, submission system, and contact information?

Frequently Asked Questions

Are CAS rankings and JCR quartiles the same?

No. Different organizations publish them, and they use different subject systems, calculations, and presentation. State the required system and year in research-assessment or submission materials.

Why can the same journal have two CAS rankings?

Broad and narrow category results may differ, or a webpage may mix years, legacy editions, and upgraded editions. Verify the official record for that year using the journal ISSN.

Will a 2026 CAS journal ranking table still be published?

The official platform currently states that the National Science Library, CAS will stop updating and publishing the table from 2026. For historical years, still verify the original platform and your institution's requirements.

Official Entry Points and Explanations

  1. 1
    National Science Library CAS Journal Ranking Platform

    The official platform explains historical rankings and announces that the table will no longer be updated or published from 2026.

  2. 2
    Fudan University Library: CAS Ranking Platform

    A university library access guide that can help confirm your institution's login route.

  3. 3
    Clarivate: Journal Citation Reports

    The official JCR product description explains its data sources and journal-evaluation framework.

Continue Reading

DOI Lookup and ParsingPaper Formatting GuideReference Formatting