Guide: Publication Percentile
The percentile is a standardised metric that calculates a publication’s ranking between 1 and 99 in relation to all other publications published in the same year and discipline, based on the number of citations received.
What is it used for? It allows us to make a fair and equitable comparison between publications within the same discipline, providing further context to the citation count metric.
How should it be interpreted? A 99th percentile means that the publication is amongst the top 1 per cent of the most cited publications from that year within the same discipline.
Metrics and narrative
Sources
How do you obtain the metric?
- Log in to Scopus using your IQS credentials.
- Search for the article or publication by title, DOI or another identifier.
- The percentile can be found in the full publication record.
Example of a narrative:
Since its publication in 2023 in the journal Molecules, the article has received a total of 116 citations, reflecting a notable level of attention from the scientific community. The high number of citations received places the article amongst the top 3 per cent of most-cited articles of 2023 within the discipline of chemistry, highlighting its impact and relevance within the field. [Checked on 14 October 2025].
How do you obtain the metric?
- Access OpenAlex.
- Search for the article or publication by title, DOI or another identifier.
- The percentile can be found in the full publication record.
Example of a narrative:
Since its publication in 2015 in the journal Materials & Design, the article has received a total of 485 citations, reflecting a significant level of attention from the scientific community. The high number of citations received places the article amongst the top 6 per cent of most-cited articles within the discipline. [Accessed on 19 August 2025].