What is measuresHE Journal 100?
The measuresHE Journals 100 Methodology 2026 outlines a rigorous, data-driven framework for ranking academic journals using the OpenAlex database. The methodology is designed to reward both quality and quantity while remaining resilient against metric manipulation (e.g., paper mills, citation cartels).
Key Metrics & Weightings
The final score for each journal is a weighted sum of seven metrics, each transformed into a 0–100 score using statistical Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDF):
| Metric | Weight | Scoring Algorithm | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravitas | 30% | Exponential CDF | Eigenvector centrality (PageRank) within subject-specific citation networks. |
| Typical FWCI | 30% | Exponential CDF | An "Olympic mean" (trimmed mean) of Field-Weighted Citation Impact, removing the top and bottom 5% outliers. |
| Median FWCI of Best Works | 20% | Exponential CDF | The median FWCI of the top 5% highest-performing articles in a journal. |
| Publication Volume | 6% | Exponential CDF | A journal's share of research output within a subject domain, normalised by subfield and year. |
| Authoring Institution Diversity | 5% | Normal CDF | Measured using Shannon entropy to ensure a wide range of contributing institutions. |
| Citing Institution Diversity | 5% | Normal CDF | Shannon entropy of the institutions citing the journal's work (Reach). |
| Open Access | 4% | Normal CDF | The rate of Open Access publishing relative to the norms of the specific academic field. |
Core Principles
Data Source
Utilises a snapshot of OpenAlex (extracted Nov 1st, 2025) covering works published from 2020 to 2024.
Normalisation
Metrics are normalised by subfield and publication year to ensure fair comparison across different academic disciplines and evolving trends.
Robustness
Specific algorithms are used to devalue journals associated with paper mills and to discount exploitative self-citations or citation cliques, ensuring the integrity of the rankings.
Eligibility Criteria
To be included in the ranking for a specific subject domain, a journal must satisfy the following three criteria:
Continuous Publication
Demonstrate continuous publication across the entire 5-year evaluation period.
Subject Domain Focus
Have at least 33% of its publication volume fall within that subject domain.
Minimum Volume Contribution
Contribute at least 0.01% of the total publication volume of all active journals in that domain.