Q1 journals without APC are attractive because they combine strong citation positioning with a no-fee catalog record. They can also be highly selective and may receive manuscripts from a broad international pool.
A sensible strategy is to use quartile as one signal after scope fit. Compare the manuscript with recent articles and make sure the claimed contribution is relevant to the journal’s readers.
Quick answer: Q1 identifies the top quartile within a SCImago subject category and year. It does not mean that every manuscript is suitable or that acceptance is likely.
Journal list and current catalog signals
The table presents 12 examples from 359 matching catalog records. SJR, H-index, and quartile refer to the linked SCImago data year in the catalog. Fees and policies must be verified on the official journal website.
| Journal | Quartile | SJR | H-index | Fee | Country | Pre-review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Reviews in RelativitySpringerOpen | Q1 | 14.227 | 107 | No APCPublication fee | Germany | Pre-review |
| Living Reviews in Solar PhysicsSpringer | Q1 | 8.871 | 79 | No APCPublication fee | Switzerland | Pre-review |
| International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher EducationSpringerOpen | Q1 | 7.947 | 97 | No APCPublication fee | United Kingdom | Pre-review |
| Military Medical ResearchKeAi Communications Co., Ltd. | Q1 | 5.898 | 68 | No APCPublication fee | China | Pre-review |
| Organization TheorySAGE Publishing | Q1 | 4.852 | 43 | No APCPublication fee | United Kingdom | Pre-review |
| International Journal of Extreme ManufacturingIOP Publishing | Q1 | 4.098 | 73 | No APCPublication fee | United Kingdom | Pre-review |
| Nano Research EnergyTsinghua University Press | Q1 | 4.016 | 49 | No APCPublication fee | China | Pre-review |
| Journal of Sport and Health ScienceElsevier | Q1 | 3.715 | 87 | No APCPublication fee | Netherlands | Pre-review |
| Journal of the European Mathematical SocietyEMS Press | Q1 | 3.687 | 73 | No APCPublication fee | Germany | Pre-review |
| Journal of Statistical SoftwareFoundation for Open Access Statistics | Q1 | 3.677 | 199 | No APCPublication fee | United States | Pre-review |
| Opto-Electronic ScienceEditorial Office of Opto-Electronic Journals, Institute of Optics and Electronics, CAS, China | Q1 | 3.494 | 33 | No APCPublication fee | China | Pre-review |
| Energy Material AdvancesAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | Q1 | 3.459 | 39 | No APCPublication fee | United States | Pre-review |
Data note: The ranking data is year-specific. PapeReview does not present Q1 as an acceptance prediction or a permanent property of a journal. Search the complete Journal Finder.
How to choose from this list
Match the exact subject category
A journal can hold different quartiles across categories. Verify the category that matters for your institution or discipline.
Check whether Q1 is current
The list uses the catalog’s 2025 SCImago-linked data. Rankings can move from year to year.
Assess editorial fit
Strong novelty in the wrong scope remains a weak submission. Read editorials, aims, and several recent papers.
Build a realistic fallback
Keep Q2 or specialist alternatives ready so a desk rejection does not restart journal selection from zero.
Check the manuscript against the journal you selected
PapeReview evaluates clarity, methods, evidence, contribution, limitations, and journal-target fit before you enter the publisher submission system.
Frequently asked questions
Are all Q1 journals high impact in every field?
No. Citation behaviour differs across disciplines, and Q1 is calculated within a category.
Why would a Q1 journal have no APC?
Its publication costs may be supported by institutions, societies, funders, subscriptions, or sponsorship.
How should I prepare for a Q1 submission?
Make the novelty, evidence, methodological rigour, limitations, and relevance to the journal audience explicit.
Sources and verification
PapeReview combines catalog fields from journal and publisher records with DOAJ and SCImagoJR-linked information. These services answer different questions: DOAJ focuses on open-access journal records, while SCImagoJR presents Scopus-based citation indicators. PapeReview adds filtering and a manuscript pre-review workflow but does not replace official publisher verification.