Bibliometric benchmarking across astronomy journals: Knowledge-use cycle and PASJ in the global landscape

TL;DR

This paper conducts a bibliometric comparison of eight astronomy journals, including PASJ, analyzing publication and citation patterns over nearly three decades to understand impact dynamics and suggest strategic improvements.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of PASJ within the global astronomy journal landscape, highlighting impact patterns and strategic opportunities.

Findings

PASJ generally has below-average impact compared to global peers.

Impact peaks episodically due to special issues and features.

Impact metrics are limited by short citation windows.

Abstract

We present a comparative bibliometric analysis of eight astronomy journals over 1996--2024, including \textit{Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan} (PASJ). Using data from Scopus and SciVal, we extract annual indicators of publication activity and scholarly impact, analyze time series, citation distributions, and citation age profiles, and benchmark PASJ within this landscape. The age profiles reveal a characteristic knowledge-use cycle: citations rise over $\sim$2--4 years, approach saturation by $\sim$10--12 years, underscoring limits of short-window impact metrics. Journals published by European and North American astronomical organizations sustain higher impact, whereas PASJ generally lies below the world baseline. In parallel, PASJ shows episodic above-baseline impact through facility- or mission-driven special issues and features that, given the journal's modest annual volume, can materially shift year-level metrics. These patterns point to two potential avenues for PASJ: well-timed, thoughtfully organized special issues and features that highlight high-impact results, and continued strengthening of international collaboration.