In short: SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and ESCI are journal indexes in Clarivate's Web of Science Core Collection. "SCI" is the older name for the science index; Clarivate now presents it as Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). ESCI journals meet Clarivate's quality criteria but not its additional impact criteria. Scopus is a separate database owned by Elsevier.
By On Time Publication Editorial Team · Last updated 7 October 2026
| Label | Owner | What it is today | Journal metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCI | Clarivate | The original Science Citation Index (released 1964). Clarivate's current product pages present the science index as SCIE, with no separate SCI edition. | - |
| SCIE | Clarivate | Science Citation Index Expanded: the Web of Science Core Collection index for science journals that meet the quality and impact criteria. | Journal Impact Factor (JIF) |
| SSCI / AHCI | Clarivate | The equivalent Core Collection indexes for social sciences and for arts & humanities. | JIF (arts & humanities categories have no JIF rank or quartile) |
| ESCI | Clarivate | Emerging Sources Citation Index: Core Collection journals that meet the 24 quality criteria but not (yet) the 4 impact criteria. | JIF (since the 2023 JCR release) |
| Scopus | Elsevier | A separate abstract and citation database, with titles selected by its Content Selection and Advisory Board (CSAB). | CiteScore; SJR (SCImago) |
Clarivate says the Web of Science "started with the Science Citation Index which was released in 1964" (Web of Science Core Collection). Today Clarivate's Core Collection editions are listed as Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index and Emerging Sources Citation Index, plus conference and book indexes. There is no separate "SCI" edition to choose.
In practice, when a university rule, job advert or journal website says "SCI journal", it usually means a journal in SCIE. If the rule is important to you, for example for promotion, ask the people who wrote it to confirm this in writing.
Clarivate evaluates journals against 28 criteria: 24 quality criteria and 4 impact criteria (Clarivate selection criteria). Journals that meet the quality criteria enter ESCI. Journals that also meet the impact criteria, which mainly look at citation activity, enter SCIE, SSCI or AHCI, which Clarivate calls the "flagship" collections.
Three recent changes matter for authors:
So ESCI is part of the Web of Science Core Collection, and its journals pass the same quality checks. But many institutions still distinguish ESCI from SCIE or SSCI in their rules.
Scopus belongs to Elsevier, not Clarivate. A journal suggested to Scopus must meet technical criteria, including peer review, a registered ISSN, English titles and abstracts, and a public publication-ethics statement. It is then reviewed by the CSAB on journal policy, content, standing, publishing regularity and online availability (Scopus content policy). Scopus also re-evaluates indexed journals and can discontinue them.
A journal can be in Scopus only, in Web of Science only, in both, or in neither. Always check each database separately. Our guide how to check if a journal is Scopus or Web of Science indexed shows how.
"Q1" simply means the top 25% of journals in a subject category, but different systems calculate it differently:
The same journal can be Q1 in one system and Q2 in another, or different quartiles in two categories. If your rule says "Q1", ask which source and which year it uses. Our guide on how to check impact factor and quartiles shows where to look up each one.
We cannot answer that for you, because rules differ between countries, universities, faculties and even between promotion and graduation, and they change. Ask your research office for the current written rule, and check that it answers these questions:
Researchers in the Gulf and Jordan can also read our pages for Saudi Arabia and the GCC and Jordan.
Send us your institution's rule and your manuscript. Through our journal submission support, we shortlist journals that meet it, with dated Scopus and Web of Science evidence for each one, and we can edit the manuscript before submission. Acceptance is always decided by the journal.
Independence: On Time Publication is not affiliated with Elsevier/Scopus, Clarivate/Web of Science, COPE, the ICMJE or any journal. We link to their public guidance so you can check it yourself.
The label is still widely used, but Clarivate's current Web of Science Core Collection presents the science index as Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). When a rule says SCI, it usually means SCIE; confirm with your institution.
Yes. ESCI is one of the journal indexes in the Web of Science Core Collection. Its journals meet Clarivate's 24 quality criteria but have not met the additional impact criteria for SCIE, SSCI or AHCI.
Yes. Clarivate extended the Journal Impact Factor to ESCI and AHCI journals in 2023, and since 2024 ESCI journals are included in the unified JIF rankings for science and social science categories.
Neither is simply better. They are separate databases with their own selection processes and metrics. What matters is which one your university, funder or employer requires.
Yes. Many journals are in both, but some are in only one. Check each database separately using the Scopus Sources list and Clarivate's Master Journal List.
The quartiles use different metrics and category schemes: JCR uses the Journal Impact Factor, while Scopus uses CiteScore and SCImago uses SJR. Ask which source your rule uses.
It depends on your institution's current written rule. Some accept any Web of Science Core Collection journal; others require SCIE or SSCI. Ask your research office.
We link to official sources so you can check the rules yourself. Always follow your target journal's and institution's current instructions.
Share your university's index rule and your manuscript. We will tell you honestly which journals fit, with evidence, in a free assessment.
Pricing: custom quote based on word count, field and deadline. See how pricing works or contact us.
WhatsApp: +44 7916 693071
Email: info@ontimepublication.com
Tell us about your research and publication requirements. Our team will review your request and contact you to discuss the next steps.