Quantity-Quality Divergence and Collaboration Optimization: International Impact Disparities and Enhancement Strategies for China's SCI-Indexed English-language Geology Journals

A comprehensive evaluation of the international development status of five leading English-language geology journals of China indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI) is presented, aiming to identify key determinants of their global impact and propose targeted strategies for enhancement. Against the backdrop of China's "Double Backflow" policy initiative, which seeks to redirect high-quality research outputs to domestic publishing platforms, our analysis provides critical insights into the pathways for elevating the international standing of Chinese scholarly journals. This research employs a multi-dimensional analytical framework, integrating quantitative metrics and qualitative assessments from authoritative databases, including Web of Science (WoS), Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and InCites. Data extraction, conducted up to June 2025, focused on several core aspects: journal foundational characteristics (e.g., founding year, publication frequency), detailed international collaboration patterns (assessed via co-authorship networks, partner country contributions, and discipline-normalized citation impact or category normalized citation impact (CNCI) for collaborative papers), and citation influence (examining citation networks, citing entities across countries/institutions, and journal self-citation behaviors). A longitudinal analysis tracked the impact factor (IF) and JCR quartile trends for each journal from 2010 onward, enabling the classification of their influence evolution into distinct typologies. Key findings reveal that: (1) A "quantity-quality divergence" in international collaboration exists—Though the United States is the most frequent partner, it is associated with a lower CNCI (often < 1.0), whereas partnerships with Australia and the U.K. yield greater impact (e.g., a CNCI of 3.082 for the U.K. in Geoscience Frontiers), underscoring the importance of prioritizing quality over volume. (2) Journal impact trajectories fall into three types: the sustained-leading type (Geoscience Frontiers), which maintained a Q1 position since its inclusion in SCI with an IF rising to 8.9; the steady-rising type (Science China Earth Sciences), which progressed from Q4 to a stable Q1 position; and the fluctuating-developing type (Acta Geologica Sinica-English Edition), characterized by periodic shifts between Q2 and Q3 prior to its recent entry into Q1. Third, the analysis confirms the substantial influence of publishing models and cycles. Open access (OA) models, particularly the diamond OA adopted by Geoscience Frontiers, are correlated with higher visibility and impact. Furthermore, a clear relationship is observed between publication frequency and journal development pace, with the monthlies generally demonstrating faster growth than the quarterlies do. Based on these empirical findings, this study proposes a strategic framework comprising four interconnected pathways for enhancing the international impact of China's geology journals and potential applicability to other disciplinary journals. These pathways are: (1) actively promoting the transition to OA to broaden global reach; (2) building a quality-oriented international collaboration network that moves beyond volumetric metrics to foster deep, impactful partnerships; (3) optimizing publication cycles and dissemination efficiency by implementing a tiered publishing system that balances speed with rigorous peer review, potentially leveraging preprint platforms; and (4) implementing differentiated influence enhancement strategies tailored to each journal's specific evolutionary model, focusing on strengthening unique disciplinary niches. This framework, aligned with the objectives of the "Double Backflow" policy, offers an actionable roadmap for China's scientific journals to transition from scale expansion to quality-driven development, thereby solidifying the foundation for national scientific innovation and enhancing global academic impact.