"Space of physics journals": in search of journals of quality

This paper analyses the problem of scientific quality of physics journals. The main assumption is that the quality of a physics journal exists only in reference to other journals. Instead of constructing new indicators of scientific quality, we identify a physical journal with corresponding empirical distribution function of citations. From our relational point of view, the space of physics journals is only a system of differences between empirical distribution functions of citations. Using data from Web of Science Core Collection we consider the space of physics journals and the space of scientific publishers. The first provides an objective basis for the grouping of physics journals on the basis of a whole range of indicators (citation statistics, country, publisher, etc.). The second reveals the "competitors' triangle" of regional publishers, transnational publishers and professional physical societies. These findings have prompted us to advance the hypothesis that the structure of the space of physics journals is determined by a system of relations between publishers.