SCI and SCIE are both part of the Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) and are highly reputed indexing databases. Many people get confused about which one is better.
What is SCI?
- SCI = Science Citation Index
- Contains top and highly selective science journals
- Includes fewer but very high-quality journals
- More difficult for journals to get included
What is SCIE?
- SCIE = Science Citation Index Expanded
- Extension of SCI
- Contains more journals than SCI
- Includes both top and mid-level quality journals
Comparison
| Feature | SCI | SCIE |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | Science Citation Index | Science Citation Index Expanded |
| Number of Journals | Less (elite journals) | More (expanded list) |
| Quality Level | Very high | High to very high |
| Impact Factor | Yes | Yes |
| Difficulty to Publish | Very high | High |
Which is Better?
From a quality point of view, SCI is slightly better than SCIE because it contains only top-tier journals. However, for academic purposes (PhD, promotion, research credit), SCI and SCIE are usually treated equally.
Important Points
- Both SCI and SCIE journals have Impact Factor
- Both are part of Web of Science
- Universities often accept SCI and SCIE as same category
- Publishing in SCIE is more practical for most researchers
Final Answer
- SCI is more elite and selective
- SCIE has more journals and wider scope
- Both are equally valuable for academic recognition
- Choose based on journal quality, not only SCI or SCIE label
Source: sureshtechlabs.com