Journal Ranking: The Issue of Allotting Rank Number When there is a Tie

Abstract

Ranking studies are very popular. But different authors have followed different methods in allotting rank numbers when there is a tie. Whenever journal titles from two or more ranked lists are taken for comparison, all the lists need be ranked following same procedure. Otherwise, their rank numbers need be converted to uniform rank numbers before comparison to avoid any misleading results. When, a sample of 2891 journal references of physics having 309 journals were ranked in three different methods in vogue, and compared, it was found that the rank position of the same last journal title was 43, 176 and 309 in the three lists indicating a huge difference that could lead to quite misleading conclusion. if compared unknowingly.

Whenever more than one title occupies the same number of citations, all of them should be given same rank number and the number of such titles baving same rank number should be added to decide the next rank number.