Understanding complexity in the author-journal space

Yenilmez T. E.

SCIENTOMETRICS, vol.130, no.7, pp.3405-3432, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 130 Issue: 7
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s11192-025-05344-9
  • Journal Name: SCIENTOMETRICS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, FRANCIS, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Applied Science & Technology Source, BIOSIS, CINAHL, Computer & Applied Sciences, Index Islamicus, Information Science and Technology Abstracts, INSPEC, Library and Information Science Abstracts, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), PAIS International, RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, zbMATH
  • Page Numbers: pp.3405-3432
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of complexity to the network of authors and journals creating new metrics: the Journal Complexity Index (JCI) and the Author Complexity Index (ACI). High-ACI authors and high-JCI journals tend to have more citations per article, even though these complexity metrics are calculated without using citation data. Regression analyses using comprehensive data from the Scopus database show that the relationship between complexity and citation impact is strong and robust when journals are grouped into specific subject areas. When applied to broader categories that include journals from diverse fields, the metrics primarily serve to distinguish journals based on their subject field. However, as journal groups become homogeneous in terms of subject field, the ACI and JCI turn into true indicators of complexity. These findings show that complexity metrics can act as both clustering tools and true indicators of complexity, highlighting the conditional nature of their interpretation.