In addition to the specialty journals in each field, papers in the multidisciplinary journals Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS) were also studied. Nature makes a strong showing in all rankings followed closely by Science.
Status of the journals in the LSU Libraries is reflected by the following: C = Current subscription; NC = Noncurrent – usually canceled title: X = Not owned; O = Online only, and VM represents titles in the Veterinary Medicine Library.
| Molecular Biology & Genetics | Physics | |||||||||
| Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | |
| 1 | Cell | C | 4,535 | 175 | 1 | Science | C | 839 | 77 | |
| 2 | Nature | C | 1,658 | 124 | 2 | Nature | C | 943 | 70 | |
| 3 | Science | C | 1,368 | 108 | 3 | Physical Review Letters | C | 28,908 | 25 | |
| 4 | Nature Genetics | C | 2,062 | 98 | 4 | PNAS | C | 214 | 14 | |
| 5 | Genes & Development | X | 2,931 | 80 | 5 | Nuclear Physics B | C | 10,740 | 14 | |
| 6 | J. Cell Biology | C | 5,480 | 59 | 6 | Physics Letters B | C | 16,751 | 13 | |
| 7 | EMBO Journal | C | 7,199 | 56 | 7 | Applied Physics Letters | C | 27,418 | 13 | |
| 8 | Molec. Cellular Biology | C | 8,530 | 42 | 8 | Physical Review B | C | 18,074 | 12 | |
| 9 | Development | C | 4,793 | 41 | 9 | Physical Review B | C | 51,163 | 12 | |
| 10 | PNAS | C | 5,246 | 41 | 10 | Journal of Rheology | C | 891 | 11 | |
| Biology & Biochemistry | Space Science | |||||||||
| Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | |
| 1 | Nature | C | 1,512 | 172 | 1 | Nature | C | 688 | 48 | |
| 2 | Science | C | 1,436 | 163 | 2 | Science | C | 476 | 32 | |
| 3 | PNAS | C | 7,745 | 49 | 3 | Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. | C | 1,482 | 26 | |
| 4 | FASEB Journal | C | 2,535 | 38 | 4 | Astrophysical Journal | C | 23,529 | 18 | |
| 5 | Molecular Endocrinology | C | 2,004 | 32 | 5 | Astronomical Journal | C | 5,114 | 16 | |
| 6 | J. Biological Chemistry | C | 55,168 | 30 | 6 | Mon. Not. Royal Ast. Soc. | C | 8,417 | 13 | |
| 7 | Systematic Biology | C | 411 | 27 | 7 | J. Geophys. Res.- Planets | C | 1,340 | 11 | |
| 8 | Nature Biotechnology (formerly Bio/Technology) |
C | 801 | 27 | 8 | Icarus | NC | 2,245 | 11 | |
| 9 | Nucleic Acids Research | C | 9,507 | 24 | 9 | Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific | C | 1,704 | 10 | |
| 10 | J. Bone Mineral Research | C | 2,601 | 23 | 10 | Astronomy & Astrophysics | C | 14,476 | 10 | |
| Clinical Medicine | Plant & Animal Sciences | |||||||||
| Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | |
| 1 | Nature | C | 624 | 272 | 1 | Science | C | 402 | 84 | |
| 2 | Science | C | 746 | 270 | 2 | Nature | C | 446 | 55 | |
| 3 | New Engl. J. Medicine | C | 4,331 | 104 | 3 | Plant Cell | NC | 1,898 | 45 | |
| 4 | PNAS | C | 3,872 | 76 | 4 | PNAS | C | 1,335 | 41 | |
| 5 | J. Experimental Medicine | C | 4,596 | 71 | 5 | Plant Journal | X | 2,549 | 25 | |
| 6 | J. Clinical Investigation | NC/VM | 6,143 | 54 | 6 | Plant Physiology | C | 6,178 | 19 | |
| 7 | J. Natl. Cancer Institute | C | 1,882 | 49 | 7 | Limnology & Oceanography | C | 2,065 | 18 | |
| 8 | Ann. Internal Medicine | C | 2,509 | 47 | 8 | Ann. Missouri Botan. Garden | C | 367 | 17 | |
| 9 | JAMA-J. Am. Med. Assn. | C | 5,349 | 43 | 9 | Plant Molecular Biology | C | 3,283 | 17 | |
| 10 | The Lancet | C | 7,690 | 40 | 10 | J. Animal Ecology | C | 932 | 16 | |
| Pharmacology & Toxicology | Microbiology | |||||||||
| Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | |
| 1 | Nature | C | 23 | 152 | 1 | Nature | C | 186 | 125 | |
| 2 | PNAS | C | 114 | 73 | 2 | Science | C | 275 | 112 | |
| 3 | Molecular Pharmacology | C | 3,448 | 25 | 3 | PNAS | C | 1,745 | 44 | |
| 4 | Drugs | X | 1,614 | 18 | 4 | Journal of Virology | C | 13,103 | 24 | |
| 5 | J. Pharmacol. Exp. Therap. | C | 7,931 | 17 | 5 | Molecular Microbiology | C | 4,960 | 24 | |
| 6 | British J. Pharmacology | C | 7,254 | 16 | 6 | Journal of Bacteriology | C | 11,240 | 18 | |
| 7 | Chem. Res. Toxicology | C | 1,765 | 14 | 7 | Virology | C | 6,462 | 17 | |
| 8 | Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacology | C | 2,500 | 14 | 8 | Appl. Environ. Microbiology | C | 8,746 | 16 | |
| 9 | Biochemical Pharmacology | C | 5,248 | 13 | 9 | Antimicrob. Agents Chemo. | NC | 6,453 | 16 | |
| 10 | Naunyn-Schmled. Arch. Pharm. | O | 2,037 | 11 | 10 | J. General Virology | C | 4,265 | 15 | |
| Chemistry | Neuroscience & Behavior | |||||||||
| Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | |
| 1 | Nature | C | 587 | 97 | 1 | Science | C | 587 | 97 | |
| 2 | Science | C | 1,057 | 83 | 2 | Nature | C | 1,057 | 83 | |
| 3 | PNAS | C | 769 | 31 | 3 | Neuron | X / VM | 769 | 31 | |
| 4 | J. Amer. Chem. Soc. | C | 24,590 | 24 | 4 | PNAS | C | 24,590 | 24 | |
| 5 | Agnew. Chem. Int. Ed. | C | 7,906 | 20 | 5 | Annals of Neurology | X | 7,906 | 20 | |
| 6 | Analytical Chemistry | C | 8,797 | 18 | 6 | Journal of Neuroscience | X / VM | 8,797 | 18 | |
| 7 | J. Medicinal Chemistry | C | 5,921 | 17 | 7 | Brain - J. of Neurology | C | 5,921 | 17 | |
| 8 | J. Computational Chem. | C | 1,604 | 16 | 8 | J. Cebr. Blood Flow Metabol. | X | 1,604 | 16 | |
| 9 | J. Physical Chemistry B | C | 19,794 | 15 | 9 | Brain Pathology | X | 19,794 | 15 | |
| 10 | Journal of Catalysis | C | 3,983 | 15 | 10 | Cerebral Cortex | X | 3,983 | 15 | |
| Immunology | ||||||||||
| Rank | Journal | Status | # of papers, 1992-2002 | Cites per paper | ||||||
| 1 | Nature | C | 587 | 97 | Status | |||||
| 2 | Science | C | 1,057 | 83 | C | Current | ||||
| 3 | PNAS | C | 769 | 31 | NC | Non-current - usually canceled title | ||||
| 4 | Journal of Immunology | NC | 24,590 | 24 | X | Not owned | ||||
| 5 | European J. Immunology | X / VM | 7,906 | 20 | O | Online only | ||||
| 6 | J. Infectious Diseases | O | 8,797 | 18 | VM | Vet Med | ||||
| 7 | AIDS | O | 5,921 | 17 | ||||||
| 8 | J. Leukocyte Biology | X / VM | 1,604 | 16 | ||||||
| 9 | Infection and Immunity | C | 19,794 | 15 | ||||||
| 10 | J. Acq. Imm. Def. Syndromes | X / VM | 3,983 | 15 | ||||||