Bibliometric benchmarking across astronomy journals: Knowledge–use cycle and PASJ in the global landscape

Abstract We present a comparative bibliometric analysis of eight astronomy journals over 1996–2024, including Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (PASJ). Using data from Scopus and SciVal, we extract annual indicators of publication activity and scholarly impact, analyze time series, citation distributions, and citation age profiles, and benchmark PASJ within this landscape. The age profiles reveal a characteristic knowledge–use cycle: citations rise over ∼2–4 years, approach saturation by ∼10–12 years, underscoring limits of short-window impact metrics. Journals published by European and North American astronomical organizations sustain higher impact, whereas PASJ generally lies below the world baseline. In parallel, PASJ shows episodic above-baseline impact through facility- or mission-driven special issues and features that, given the journal’s modest annual volume, can materially shift year-level metrics. These patterns point to two potential avenues for PASJ: well-timed, thoughtfully organized special issues and features that highlight high-impact results, and continued strengthening of international collaboration.