JSTOR
jstor.org ↗Academic journal database since 1995; primary archive for humanities + social-science research.
Is JSTOR reliable to cite? At grade B (82/100 on the SourceScore Index), JSTOR is a solid, generally citable source.
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.
Need recurring mention tracking rather than a one-off readiness audit? Compare AI-visibility tools.
Aggregator of peer-reviewed journals; underlying content meets discipline standards of source journals.
How Citation Discipline is scored →DOI per paper; structured metadata; access tiered (institutional, individual, free archive 'JPASS').
How Modern Reference is scored →Heavy academic citation; less in news + AI-engine retrieval due to access gates.
How Citation Velocity is scored →Signals behind these scores
Citation Discipline
A·90- Curation disciplineInclusion limited to peer-reviewed academic content.
Modern Reference
B·75- Institutional gateMost content requires institutional subscription; growing free archive.
Citation Velocity
B·80- Academic-defaultPrimary citation source in humanities + social science papers.
Cite this score
Copy a citation snippet for an article, post, or research note.
[JSTOR — SourceScore Index 82 (B)](https://sourcescore.org/source/jstor/)
<a href="https://sourcescore.org/source/jstor/">JSTOR — SourceScore Index 82 (B)</a>
SourceScore (v0.1). (2026). JSTOR: SourceScore Index 82 (B). Retrieved from https://sourcescore.org/source/jstor/
1 head-to-head comparison
See all JSTOR comparisons →Each comparison sets JSTOR beside another source on all three scores and shows which one scores higher on each.
5 sources at JSTOR's tier
See peer group →The five sources with the closest overall score to JSTOR, from any category, and where each one scores higher or lower on Discipline, Modern Reference and Velocity.
Embed this score
All embed options →Drop on your blog or dashboard. Free, no signup.
<iframe src="https://sourcescore.org/embed/jstor/" width="100%" height="380" loading="lazy" style="border:0;max-width:480px;" title="SourceScore: JSTOR"></iframe>
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.