If you’re currently planning your thesis and find yourself thinking, “Which quartile do I actually need so I don’t have to redo everything twice?”, you’re definitely not alone. In 2026, the answer to this question has changed, and it directly determines how many papers you’ll need to write and how much time it will take.
The question of which Scopus quartile to choose is no longer about abstract prestige, but about a direct calculation of the weight of publications and the timeline leading up to the defense. Order No. 56 of the Ministry of Education and Science, dated January 19, 2026 has introduced a new version of the Procedure for Compiling the List of Scientific and Professional Publications of Ukraine, and together with the current Cabinet of Ministers resolutions, this determines how your articles are credited. So let’s break it down in simple terms: how does Q1 differ from Q2 and Q3, and which of these actually meets the requirements?
How is the Scopus quartile calculated, and how does it differ from a percentile?
Scopus does not assign quartiles directly. They are determined based on a journal’s CiteScore Percentile within a specific subject category, while the SCImago Journal and Country Rank (SJR) service calculates its own quartile rankings separately based on the SJR index. Both approaches are based on ranking: all journals in a category are sorted by impact, and each is assigned a percentile—that is, a position expressed as a percentage from 0 to 99.
The difference between a quartile and a percentile lies in the level of detail. A percentile is an exact position (for example, the 81st percentile), while a quartile is a broad category into which that percentile falls:
| Quartile | Percentile range |
|---|---|
| Q1 | 75–99 (highest) |
| Q2 | 50–74 |
| Q3 | 25–49 |
| Q4 | 0–24 (lowest) |
Why do the quartiles of the journal differ across categories?
A journal indexed in multiple subject areas in Scopus receives a separate percentile and a separate quartile in each of them, because the ranking is performed within each category rather than globally across the entire database. Therefore, the same journal may be Q1 in a narrow niche and, at the same time, Q3 in a broader related category. When selecting a journal, check the quartile specifically for the subject category that corresponds to the topic of your dissertation.
Why Is the Journal's Status Unstable?
SCImago updates its data once a year, usually in April or May, when the metrics for the previous calendar year are published. For example, data for 2025 will appear in the SJR around April or May 2026. Over the course of the following year, a journal’s quartile remains unchanged, even if its citation trends have already shifted. As a result, a journal that has declined in quality may remain in a high quartile until the next recalculation, so it is always worth checking its status separately at the time of publication and separately at the time of defense.
The Ministry of Education and Science's New Requirements for 2026 and How the Quartile Affects Defense
Order No. 56 of the Ministry of Education and Science, dated January 19, 2026 completely revised the Procedure for Compiling the List of Scientific and Professional Publications and strengthened the monitoring of publication ethics. For you, as an author of an article in Scopus, one thing is key here: “Category A” publications are specifically journals indexed by Scopus or Web of Science, and the loss of indexing automatically excludes such a journal from the List. Simply put, a journal’s status may well change even after you’ve submitted an article to it, so it’s worth factoring this into your strategy in advance.
The weight of the quartile in defense
Order No. 56 does not change the basic formula for calculating the quartile. Under current regulations, an article published in a Q1 or Q2 journal according to the SCImago or Journal Citation Reports classification is equivalent to two scientific publications for a PhD; under the updated 2024 regulation, a Q3 article is also equivalent to two publications. Previously, the scale was “Q1–Q2 = 3 publications, Q3 = 2 publications,” so sources differ in the details. The specific conversion factor should be verified in the current version of the Procedure for Awarding the Doctor of Philosophy Degree as of the date of document submission, since the conversion factors have been revised multiple times.
For a Doctor of Science, the requirement is different: at least 20 publications on the dissertation topic, of which at least 3 (and after the end of martial law—5) articles must appear in two different “A” category journals or in international journals indexed in Scopus or Web of Science. Here, the effect of the quartile coefficient is more pronounced: two Q1–Q3-level articles effectively meet the minimum requirement due to the 2.0 coefficient.
We've covered all the publication guidelines in detail in a separate article: How Many Publications Are Needed to Defend a PhD in 2026: A Complete Guide for Ukrainian Researchers
The Role of a Specialized Academic Council
The regulations of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Cabinet of Ministers establish only minimum requirements. A specific institution of higher education or an educational and research program has the right to set stricter criteria regarding the number of articles and the percentile. Therefore, before planning your strategy, obtain the current Regulations on the Training of PhD Candidates at your institution: it is the academic council that ultimately determines whether you have sufficient publications to be admitted to the defense.
Which Scopus quartile should you choose: Q1, Q2, or Q3?
Publishing in Q1 or Q2 makes sense when the goal is not just to formally meet the minimum requirement, but also to build an academic career, apply for international grants (Horizon Europe, NFDU), or pursue an academic title. The journal’s reputation directly influences the evaluation of the application.
Q3 is a sensible compromise when the priority is faster publication at a still-acceptable acceptance rate. In the updated 2024 model, Q3 is equivalent to 2 publications, just like Q1–Q2. This is particularly relevant for narrow niche fields, where there are objectively few top-tier journals.
There are no aggregated official data on average review times for each quartile. Generally speaking, Q1 journals tend to have longer review cycles (ranging from several months to a year) due to a high volume of submissions and a more rigorous selection process, whereas Q3 journals tend to publish more quickly. This is merely an observation, not a standard, so please check the specific timeframes on each journal’s website individually.
The minimum formal requirement for a PhD defense is three publications that present the main findings of the dissertation. However, an article in a Ukrainian academic journal with three or more co-authors counts as only 0.5 publication, while a high-quality article in a Scopus or Web of Science journal (Q1–Q3) counts as 2.0. Based on our experience, a good benchmark for a smooth defense is 4–5 articles, at least one or two of which should be in Q1–Q3 journals. Two such articles (2 × 2.0 = 4.0 according to the weighting factors) effectively meet the formal minimum requirement. Therefore, when working under a tight deadline, it makes sense to focus on 1–2 high-quality Scopus articles and fill the rest with professional publications—either authored alone or in collaboration with your academic advisor—to avoid the 0.5 weighting factor.
Risks and Verification of the Scopus Quartile
Scopus reviews its indexed publications on a monthly basis and removes those that do not meet the criteria for ethics, peer review, or indexing. In January through June 2026 alone, dozens of journals were removed from the database: 7 in January, 7 in February, 16 in March, 25 in April and May, and another 25 in June. Among those removed are even journals from major publishers (Elsevier, Wiley, Springer Nature, SAGE, Taylor & Francis). This proves that a publisher’s reputation does not guarantee continued indexing.
We regularly discuss which publications are currently at risk in our series: Candidates for removal from Scopus
If a journal was removed from Scopus between the article’s publication date and the date of the defense, or if it was not included in the MES List or the Scopus database at all as of the publication date, the article will not be counted, even if the journal appeared to be current at the time the documents were submitted. Therefore, check the quartile and status at two points in time: at the time the article was submitted and immediately before submitting the documents to the ad hoc council.
The committees refer to the official Scopus website (the “Sources” section) to verify current indexing status and to SCImago Journal and Country Rank to verify quartile rankings. Since SJR updates its data once a year and publishes figures for the previous calendar year, the committee effectively evaluates the quartile based on the most recently published data, which may lag behind the actual situation by nearly a year.
We've explained in detail here exactly what the committee reviews in your academic profile: What a Researcher's Scopus Profile Looks Like: What the Committee Checks at a Defence
The most common mistakes when choosing a journal based on quartiles:
- a journal publication that promises ultra-fast publication without any real peer review;
- an article without an active DOI registered with CrossRef after January 27, 2022;
- a publication in a journal that was no longer included in the Ministry of Education and Science’s List or in Scopus as of the publication date;
- more than one article in a single issue of a journal (does not count);
- Underestimation of the co-authorship rule (an article with three or more authors published in a Ukrainian professional journal counts as 0.5).
All of these risks should be assessed at least one month before submitting documents to the ad hoc committee, rather than just once during the journal selection process.
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Conclusion
Choosing between Q1, Q2, and Q3 in 2026 isn’t about prestige for prestige’s sake, but about balancing the impact of a publication, deadlines, and risks. The Scopus quartile directly influences how many articles you actually need: based on current weighting factors, even two Q1–Q3-level publications can meet the formal minimum requirement for a PhD. Q1 and Q2 journals boost your career, grant applications, and academic titles, while Q3 journals offer a faster path to meeting the same requirement. The key factor isn’t the quartile itself, but the journal’s stability: double-check its status, monitor updates to the Ministry of Education and Science’s list, and don’t rely solely on the publisher’s reputation. Then the quartile you choose will work in your favor, not against you.
