How Big Is A Journal Screensaver
The How Big Is A Journal screensaver shows journals indexed by Crossref with the number of DOIs each has registered, key-less. The count is the closest thing to an objective size: not impact, not prestige, just how much has actually been published. Crossref returns search hits in relevance order, which puts one-article titles above major ones, so the saver re-sorts by size. A zero is real — a journal can be registered and have deposited nothing. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
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How the How Big Is A Journal screensaver works
The saver reads the source described above and draws it on a canvas — no account, no tracking.
Journals indexed by Crossref with the number of DOIs each has registered, key-less. The count is the closest thing to an objective size: not impact, not prestige, just how much has actually been published. Crossref returns search hits in relevance order, which puts one-article titles above major ones, so the saver re-sorts by size. A zero is real — a journal can be registered and have deposited nothing.
It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.
Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.
Counting what a journal has actually published
Crossref is a DOI registration agency, and publishers register DOIs for their journal content there. Its REST API reports DOI counts for each journal title. That makes it possible to measure a journal's size in a plain way: not how often it is cited, which is what impact metrics try to capture, but how much material has been registered under its name.
A large count generally reflects a journal that is old, publishes frequently, or issues many articles per issue. Mega-journals that accept large numbers of papers a year rise quickly, while a prestigious title that publishes a few hundred papers a year may sit well down the list. Counts can also include non-article items that publishers deposit as DOIs, such as editorials or corrections, so the total is a count of registered records, not of research papers.
Some caveats apply. Publishers differ in when they began depositing, so an old journal may show only part of its history if older issues were never registered. A count of zero is possible because a journal record can exist before any content is deposited. Journals that change name or publisher can also appear as separate entries, so one title's history may be divided in two.
A worked example
Journals indexed by Crossref with the number of DOIs each has registered, key-less. The count is the closest thing to an objective size: not impact, not prestige, just how much has actually been published. Crossref returns search hits in relevance order, which puts one-article titles above major ones, so the saver re-sorts by size. A zero is real — a journal can be registered and have deposited nothing.
Settings & tips
- Accent and Background recolour the display.
- Every value on screen comes from the live source — nothing is simulated.
- Press ESC to leave fullscreen.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real data?
- Yes — it comes from the source named on this page and is refreshed on a schedule.
- Is a key needed?
- No. This source is fully key-less.
- Is it free?
- Yes, and it runs entirely in your browser.
- Does a bigger count mean a better journal?
- No. The count shows volume of registered items only, and says nothing about quality, citations or peer review standards.
- Why might an old journal have a small count?
- Its publisher may only have begun registering DOIs recently, or not registered its older issues, so the count covers only what was deposited.
- What counts as an item in a journal?
- Any DOI the publisher registers under that journal, which can include articles, editorials and corrections as well as research papers.