For the last 12 years and running now, I’ve been generating journal ranks based on the journal-ranking method we published several years ago. Since the Google journal h-indices were just released, here are the new 2019 ranks for: (i) 99 ecology, conservation and multidisciplinary journals, and a subset of (ii) 61 ‘ecology’ journals, (iii) 27 ‘conservation’ journals, (iv) 41 ‘sustainability’ journals (with general and energy-focussed journals included), and (v) 20 ‘marine & freshwater’ journals.
See also the previous years’ rankings (2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008).
(i) ecology, conservation and multidisciplinary
![Journal ranks 2019 Journal ranks 2019](https://m5.paperblog.com/i/242/2423964/journal-ranks-2019-L-XVng5b.jpeg)
Here’s a more focussed list of the top-20 journals from above:
![Journal ranks 2019 Journal ranks 2019](https://m5.paperblog.com/i/242/2423964/journal-ranks-2019-L-bykCyG.jpeg)
Not much is different for the top-ranked journals since last year, but note how Nature Ecology and Evolution is climbing fast and is now essentially identical in citation potential as PNAS (both above Ecology Letters). PLoS Biology continues to lose ground, and Conservation Letters gains some. Note that I’ve included eLife this year.
(ii) ecology journals
![Journal ranks 2019 Journal ranks 2019](https://m5.paperblog.com/i/242/2423964/journal-ranks-2019-L-NDte4Q.jpeg)
For the leaders, things are similar to last year: Nature Ecology and Evolution has taken third spot this year, with Journal of Ecology falling considerably.
Here’s a closer look at the top-20 from that last list:
![Journal ranks 2019 Journal ranks 2019](https://m5.paperblog.com/i/242/2423964/journal-ranks-2019-L-4rTi9w.jpeg)
(iii) conservation journals
Here is the most interesting list for CB.com readers:
![Journal ranks 2019 Journal ranks 2019](https://m5.paperblog.com/i/242/2423964/journal-ranks-2019-L-gp_KFl.jpeg)
This hasn’t changed much from last year, except that Nature Ecology and Evolution now takes the top spot. Conservation Letters and Conservation Biology are essentially ranked identically.
(iv) sustainability journals
In the ‘sustainability’ journals (including some general-category ones too), not much has changed since last year:
![Journal ranks 2019 Journal ranks 2019](https://m5.paperblog.com/i/242/2423964/journal-ranks-2019-L-Pirr3A.jpeg)
(v) marine and freshwater journals
Not much change here either since last year, although ICES Journal of Marine Science has moved up a little:
![Journal ranks 2019 Journal ranks 2019](https://m5.paperblog.com/i/242/2423964/journal-ranks-2019-L-RBk7hb.jpeg)
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CJA Bradshaw