Breaking ranks: China’s new journal publishing benchmarks to boost scientific soft power

Beijing aims to assert voice in global academic discourse by overhauling grading system that covers thousands of Chinese scientific journals

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Researchers examine semiconductor materials in a lab. A new scientific journal ranking system introduced by Beijing is intended as a “positive guide” to help elevate the work of the nation’s leading scientists. Photo: Xinhua

Zhang Tongin BeijingandDannie Pengin Beijing

Published: 2:00pm, 24 Apr 2025Updated: 6:30pm, 24 Apr 2025

Recent changes to a ranking system that covers thousands of scientific journals in China suggest an attempt by Beijing to reshape the global scientific publishing landscape by showcasing the country’s growing scientific soft power, according to experts.

The National Science Library under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released an updated Journal Ranking Table in March.

The new ranking system covers around 22,000 journals across 21 major disciplines, sorting them into four tiers in each discipline, according to self-defined evaluation criteria.

This ranking is now a critical component of China’s research evaluation system. Many universities and research institutions use it to assess researcher output, evaluate promotions, and even determine whether doctoral students can graduate.

After a previous update to the ranking table in 2023, the latest publication was noteworthy, particularly after some established international top-tier journals were downgraded to the second tier. In contrast, domestic Chinese journals improved, with some advancing to higher rankings.

In one instance, a well-regarded materials science journal with an impact factor of 9.6, according to the widely recognised Journal Citation Reports by Clarivate, was downgraded to the second tier. In another case, the Chinese Science Bulletin – a Chinese-language journal jointly sponsored by the CAS and the National Natural Science Foundation of China – with a modest impact factor of 1.1, was rated as a top-tier journal.