World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
South African Journal of Science
H-index 14

South African Journal of Science

0038-2353

Published by: South African Assn. For The Advancement Of Science

https://sajs.co.za/about

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Environmental Sciences 640 18 28 6
Social Sciences and Humanities 934 16 44 5

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 148
Documents by Best Scientists*: 190
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 7
SCIMAGO H-index: 72
SCIMAGO SJR: 0.592
Impact Factor: 2.3

Overview

Top Research Topics at South African Journal of Science?

The discussions in South African Journal of Science mainly cover the fields of Ecology, Paleontology, Botany, Environmental resource management and Oceanography.

  • Ecology (11.18%)
  • Paleontology (5.04%)
  • Botany (4.95%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • The importance of non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety nets: a review of evidence from South Africa (485 citations)
  • Invasive alien plants in South Africa: how well do we understand the ecological impacts? (394 citations)
  • Carbon isotope analysis of fossil bone apatite (379 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at South African Journal of Science:

The published papers focus on Ecology, Paleontology, Cave, Environmental resource management and Biodiversity. The studies tackled in the most cited publications, which mainly focus on Ecology, apply to Alien as well. The Cave research presented in the published papers falls under the domain of Archaeology.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Ecology
  • World War II
  • Law

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The aim of South African Journal of Science is to expand the discussion of research in Citation, Archaeology, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak and Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The journal connects the study in Citation with the closely related area of Economic growth. Archaeology research is concerned with Cape in particular.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) study tackling the subject of Pandemic is the focus of the journal.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Rates and patterns of habitat loss across AUTHORS: South Africa’s vegetation biomes (4 citations)
  • POPIA Code of Conduct for Research (3 citations)
  • Snapshot Safari: A large-scale collaborative to monitor Africa's remarkable biodiversity (3 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in South African Journal of Science (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Pedro W. Crous (69 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • John Butler-Adam (39 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Michael J. Wingfield (34 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 3 less than at the previous edition,
  • Anastassios Pouris (31 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Brenda D. Wingfield (31 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in South African Journal of Science (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of the Witwatersrand (379 papers) published 23 papers at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Cape Town (347 papers) published 21 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Stellenbosch University (300 papers) published 17 papers at the last edition, 14 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Pretoria (289 papers) published 12 papers at the last edition, 9 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal (182 papers) published 21 papers at the last edition, 8 more than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 4.96% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 81.74% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 7.83% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 3.48% of all publications and 6.96% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Opportunities Related to the Research

A career in research, particularly in the fields discussed in the South African Journal of Science such as Ecology, Paleontology, Botany, Environmental resource management, and Oceanography brings immense opportunities for growth and contribution. It is crucial to understand that careers aligned with these research areas exist in diverse forms and settings. One such career, for instance, is becoming a marriage and family therapist–a profession demanding an understanding of human behavior and psychological theories, much like the principles used for environmental resource management. While this career path may seem unrelated to hard science at first, it's valuable to recognize the increasing integration of social sciences with fields like ecology or environmental resource management. This fusion aids therapists in understanding the complex relationships between the environment, societal structures, and mental health. If you're wondering how to pave your career path in this direction, our detailed guide on How to become a marriage and family therapist in Utah could offer you some enlightening insights. Even though this guide is region-specific, the principles and procedures are relevant and applicable in varying extents worldwide. In conclusion, career opportunities related to the research fields discussed in the South African Journal of Science are vast and varied. Opting for these careers not only fuels further discoveries in these fields but also leverages the knowledge gained from this research to affect individual lives, communities, and potentially, the globe in a beneficial way. Do not restrict your opportunities, and remember to explore and consider various possibilities.

Top Publications

  • The IPCC Assessment Report Six Working Group 1 report and southern Africa: Reasons to take action

    Francois A. Engelbrecht;Pedro M.S. Monteiro

    (2021)
    35 Citations
  • COVID-19 amplifies urban inequalities

    Ivan Turok;Ivan Turok;Justin Visagie

    (2021)
    27 Citations
  • Estimating soil organic carbon stocks under commercial forestry using topo-climate variables in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    Omosalewa Odebiri;Onisimo Mutanga;John Odindi;Kabir Peerbhay

    (2020)
    25 Citations
  • Climate change in South Africa: Risks and opportunities for climate-resilient development in the IPCC Sixth Assessment WGII Report

    (2022)
    20 Citations
  • A portfolio perspective of rural livelihoods in Bushbuckridge, South Africa

    Fatima H. Ragie;David W. Olivier;Lori M. Hunter;Lori M. Hunter;Barend F.N. Erasmus;Barend F.N. Erasmus

    (2020)
    15 Citations
  • Why are black South African students less likely to consider studying biological sciences

    Nicoli Nattrass

    (2020)
    12 Citations
  • Creating a climate of change in the City of Johannesburg: Co-learning to adapt to climate change

    Coleen Vogel;Mutizwa Mukute;Kaera Coetzer;Mzukisi Gwata

    (2021)
    10 Citations
  • Critical reflections on the place of the university in the 21st century

    (2022)
    6 Citations
  • Hominin lower limb bones from Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa (1998–2003 excavations)

    Travis Rayne Pickering;Travis Rayne Pickering;Jason L. Heaton;Ron J. Clarke;Dominic Stratford

    (2021)
    6 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Studying Environmental Sciences in the USA opens doors to diverse career opportunities across various industries. Students often explore specialized fields such as environmental health and safety, which focuses on protecting human health and the environment through regulation and sustainable practices. For those interested, the best online environmental health and safety programs offer flexible learning paths combining science and policy.

For individuals seeking to merge science with social impact, counseling careers present a valuable option. Understanding the types of counseling degrees can help students select appropriate specializations, including environmental or health-related counseling roles.

Professional certifications like those found through bcaba accredited programs enhance credibility and career prospects in behavior analysis and applied sciences, which sometimes intersect with environmental behavior studies.

Moreover, those interested in holistic human and family dynamics might consider psychology-related fields such as marriage and family therapy. The online marriage and family therapy programs offer an accessible route to advanced practice, complementing environmental science with social well-being skills.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal

Recently Published Articles