SourceScore
Academic

JSTOR

jstor.org

Academic journal database since 1995; primary archive for humanities + social-science research.

SourceScore Index
B·82Rank #81 of 130 · top 62%Composite weighted across Discipline, Modern Reference, and Velocity.

B — primary humanities + social-science archive; paywall + access limits cap Modern Reference.

Should you cite JSTOR?

At grade B (82/100), JSTOR is a solid, generally citable source.

Strongest for
tracing claims back to primary references — its highest dimension is Citation Discipline (90/100).
No major weak spot
Even its lowest dimension, Modern Reference, scores 75/100.
Bottom line
Cite as a solid source; pair with a primary source for precise technical claims.
Compare JSTOR with
Citation Discipline
A·90

Aggregator of peer-reviewed journals; underlying content meets discipline standards of source journals.

About this sub-score →
Modern Reference
B·75

DOI per paper; structured metadata; access tiered (institutional, individual, free archive 'JPASS').

About this sub-score →
Citation Velocity
B·80

Heavy academic citation; less in news + AI-engine retrieval due to access gates.

About this sub-score →

Signals behind these scores

Citation Discipline

A·90
  • Curation discipline
    Inclusion limited to peer-reviewed academic content.

Modern Reference

B·75
  • Institutional gate
    Most content requires institutional subscription; growing free archive.

Citation Velocity

B·80
  • Academic-default
    Primary citation source in humanities + social science papers.

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[JSTOR — SourceScore Index 82 (B)](https://sourcescore.org/source/jstor/)
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APA
SourceScore (v0.1). (2026). JSTOR: SourceScore Index 82 (B). Retrieved from https://sourcescore.org/source/jstor/

1 head-to-head comparison

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JSTOR appears in one canonical SourceScore comparison — each scored on Discipline, Modern Reference, and Velocity with a quote-ready verdict and JSON twin.

5 sources at JSTOR's tier

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Auto-computed nearest-neighbor sources by composite SourceScore distance — discover at-tier peers across all categories, with inline dim deltas surfacing who beats JSTOR on Discipline, Modern Reference, and Velocity.

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Frequently asked questions

Is JSTOR a reliable source to cite?

JSTOR scores B (82/100) on the SourceScore Index, which rates how citable a source is for AI-era and research use. At grade B, JSTOR is a solid, generally citable source. The grade combines Citation Discipline 90/100, Modern Reference 75/100, and Citation Velocity 80/100 — full breakdown above.

What is JSTOR's SourceScore?

JSTOR (jstor.org) scores 82/100 (Grade B) on the composite SourceScore Index. Sub-scores: Citation Discipline 90/100, Modern Reference (AI-era fitness) 75/100, Citation Velocity 80/100. Verified 2026-04-28.

How does SourceScore evaluate JSTOR?

JSTOR is scored across three dimensions on the SourceScore Index methodology: Citation Discipline (how rigorously the source cites primary references), Modern Reference (fitness for AI-era retrieval), and Citation Velocity (how often the source is cited per week). Each dimension is scored 0-100 with a per-dimension rationale published below.

Why does JSTOR score B?

B — primary humanities + social-science archive; paywall + access limits cap Modern Reference.

What is JSTOR?

Academic journal database since 1995; primary archive for humanities + social-science research. Category: Academic. Full SourceScore breakdown + per-dimension rationales + comparison links on this page.