For the internal use of research organisations, the classification is best suited for follow-up of the progress made within the research area’s or unit’s own publication operations. The results can be used as information for the expert panels evaluating their research. Use of the classification mechanistically to allocate financing to research units may lead to inequitable treatment of the different fields of science. Due to the differences in publication practices and research questions and methods, the number of publications in the higher-level publication channels produced by individual researchers varies both between and within the disciplines and fields of research. The Level 1 publication channels may contain individual publications that are above the average in terms of quality and impact, while the publication channels classified as Level 2 and Level 3 may include publications that are below average quality and may never be cited. For these reasons, the classification cannot be a substitute for peer evaluation as a criterion or provide grounds for decisions on an individual researcher's recruitment, financing or reward.

The Publication Forum Steering Group has published a user guide for the classification: https://julkaisufoorumi.fi/en/user-guide.