Does the categorisation A, B and C reflect differences in quality?
The distinction between the categories A,B and C is not primarily qualitative; rather, the categorisation is determined by a combination of characteristics related to scope and audience (see the guidelines (PDF 79.3 KB) for definition). Journals have different profiles, and their scope of audience and field vary. Papers in journals with wide international prestige are not automatically of higher quality than papers in journals which are known and read only in a very specialised field. Similarly, a paper published in the native language in a journal which has only local importance can lead to a strong impact for a certain type of research. The Expert Panels emphasise that high quality research appears in journals throughout all three categories.
