The Arab Metric Score (AMS) is calculated using a weighted composite of five independently measured dimensions. Each dimension is scored 0–100 and then multiplied by its assigned weight. The final AMS score is the sum of all weighted dimension scores, yielding a number between 0 and 100. Quartile placement (Q1–Q4) is determined by the journal's position relative to published thresholds. All weights and thresholds are reviewed annually by the AMS Scientific Committee.
Score Weight Distribution
Each of the five dimensions contributes the following weight to the final AMS score:
Citation Impact
35%
Editorial Quality
15%
H-Index Analytics
25%
Open Access Status
15%
Peer Review Rigour
10%
AMS Quartile Bands
Q1
80 – 100
Top-tier journals with exceptional citation impact and editorial standards
Q2
65 – 79
High-quality journals with strong processes and growing citation impact
Q3
50 – 64
Established journals meeting core AMS standards with room for improvement
Q4
0 – 49
Newly indexed or lower-impact journals under continued observation
01 · 35%
Citation Impact
- Total citations received by all articles in the journal over a 5-year window
- Citation data sourced from CrossRef and OpenAlex, synced quarterly
- Self-citations are identified and discounted at a 20% rate
- Normalised by article count to prevent volume bias
- Journals with no citation data receive a provisional sub-score of 0
02 · 15%
Editorial Quality
- Composition and diversity of the editorial board (institutional & geographic)
- Transparency of author guidelines, submission, and review policies
- Explicit ethics and conflict-of-interest policies publicly stated
- Presence of internationally affiliated editors is positively weighted
- Verified via manual review at each annual re-evaluation cycle
03 · 25%
H-Index Analytics
- Journal-level H-index computed from the full article citation set
- H-index is normalised against the median for the subject category
- Growth trajectory (year-on-year H-index change) is also factored in
- Author-level H-index averages for the journal's authorship pool contribute
- Data sourced from OpenAlex author profiles, updated quarterly
04 · 15%
Open Access Status
- Full open access journals receive the maximum sub-score for this dimension
- Hybrid and delayed OA models receive partial credit on a sliding scale
- OA status verified against DOAJ, Sherpa Romeo, and direct publisher metadata
- CC licensing (CC BY, CC BY-SA) is rewarded; restrictive CC ND receives less credit
- APC transparency is required — undisclosed charges result in a penalty
05 · 10%
Peer Review Rigour
- Double-blind peer review receives the highest score; single-blind is accepted
- Average time from submission to first decision (target: ≤60 days)
- Documented reviewer guidelines and code of conduct are required
- Rejection rate data (where disclosed) is used as a proxy for selectivity
- Journals with no documented review process are ineligible for indexing
06
Update & Review Cycle
- Citation and H-index data refreshed automatically every quarter
- Full editorial and peer review re-evaluation runs once per year
- Score changes are published in the quarterly AMS Rankings update
- Publishers are notified by email when their score changes by ±5 points or more
- Historical score data is retained and publicly accessible via the API
Does your journal meet the criteria?
Review our indexing criteria in full, then submit your journal for a free eligibility check.