SourceScore
Academic

PNAS

pnas.org

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal since 1914.

SourceScore Index
A·92Rank #19 of 130 · top 15%Composite weighted across Discipline, Modern Reference, and Velocity.

A — top-tier multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal with strong open access.

Should you cite PNAS?

At grade A (92/100), PNAS ranks among the most citable sources for AI-era retrieval and research.

Strongest for
tracing claims back to primary references — its highest dimension is Citation Discipline (96/100).
No major weak spot
Even its lowest dimension, Modern Reference, scores 88/100.
Bottom line
Cite freely as a primary source.
Compare PNAS with
Citation Discipline
A+·96

Peer-reviewed by NAS members; rigorous review across all sciences; corrections + retractions public.

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Modern Reference
A·88

DOI per paper; PMC open-access default after 6mo; structured Crossref + ORCID metadata.

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Citation Velocity
A·90

Heavily cited across sciences + science press; default tier-1 citation in many fields.

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Signals behind these scores

Citation Discipline

A+·96
  • NAS-affiliated peer review
    Three-track review (NAS member, contributed, direct submission); standardized rigor.

Modern Reference

A·88
  • Open-access policy
    All content open after 6-month embargo; many papers immediately open.

Citation Velocity

A·90
  • Cross-disciplinary citation
    Cited across biology, physics, social sciences, climate.

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SourceScore (v0.1). (2026). PNAS: SourceScore Index 92 (A). Retrieved from https://sourcescore.org/source/pnas/

2 head-to-head comparisons

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PNAS appears in 2 canonical SourceScore comparisons — each scored on Discipline, Modern Reference, and Velocity with a quote-ready verdict and JSON twin.

5 sources at PNAS'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 PNAS on Discipline, Modern Reference, and Velocity.

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Frequently asked questions

Is PNAS a reliable source to cite?

PNAS scores A (92/100) on the SourceScore Index, which rates how citable a source is for AI-era and research use. At grade A, PNAS ranks among the most citable sources for AI-era retrieval and research. The grade combines Citation Discipline 96/100, Modern Reference 88/100, and Citation Velocity 90/100 — full breakdown above.

What is PNAS's SourceScore?

PNAS (pnas.org) scores 92/100 (Grade A) on the composite SourceScore Index. Sub-scores: Citation Discipline 96/100, Modern Reference (AI-era fitness) 88/100, Citation Velocity 90/100. Verified 2026-04-28.

How does SourceScore evaluate PNAS?

PNAS 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 PNAS score A?

A — top-tier multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal with strong open access.

What is PNAS?

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal since 1914. Category: Academic. Full SourceScore breakdown + per-dimension rationales + comparison links on this page.