Abstract: This paper retrieved and analyzed the SCI citation data of the journal over the years. The results show that: the annual citations have been increasing significantly since 2000; the special issues of estuarine and coastal research were cited highly. The rank of highly cited authors and articles, by their disciplines, is mathematics, life science, estuarine and coastal research, geography, environmental science. The sum citations of mathematics, life science and estuarine and coastal research amount to 90% of the total citations; however, the citations of environmental science have been occupying more and more parts. Finally, on the base of the statistics, the problems faced by the journal were pointed out and the solutions are suggested. This study is a useful attempt to use SCI data to evaluate a non-SCI journal, so as to promote its development.

Key words: Journal of East China Normal University (Nature Science Edition), academic journals, SCI, citation