Answered By: Laurissa Gann Last Updated: Aug 29, 2024 Views: 1158847
Answered By: Laurissa Gann
Last Updated: Aug 29, 2024 Views: 1158847
Impact Factors are used to measure the importance of a journal by calculating the number of times selected articles are cited within the last few years. The higher the impact factor, the more highly ranked the journal. It is one tool you can use to compare journals in a subject category.
During 2017, the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) database tracked all impact factors for 12,298 journals. The table below shows the number and percentage of journals that were assigned impact factors ranging from 0 to 10+. Of 12,298 journals, only 239 titles, or 1.9% of the journals tracked by JCR, have a 2017 impact factor of 10 or higher. The top 5% of journals have impact factors approximately equal to or greater than 6 (610 journals or 4.9% of the journals tracked by JCR). Approximately two-thirds of the journals tracked by JCR have a 2017 impact factor equal to or greater than 1.
|
Impact Factor |
Number of Journals |
Ranking (Top % of Journals) |
|
10+ |
239 |
1.9% |
|
9+ |
290 |
2.4% |
|
8+ |
356 |
2.9% |
|
7+ |
447 |
3.6% |
|
6+ |
610 |
4.9% |
|
5+ |
871 |
7.1% |
|
4+ |
1,399 |
11.4% |
|
3+ |
2,575 |
21% |
|
2+ |
4,840 |
39.4% |
|
1+ |
8,757 |
71.2% |
|
0+ |
12,298 |
100% |
Impact Factors are useful, but they should not be the only consideration when judging quality. Not all journals are tracked in the JCR database and, as a result, do not have impact factors. New journals must wait until they have a record of citations before even being considered for inclusion. The scientific worth of an individual article has nothing to do with the impact factor of a journal.
Links & Files
- Recommended video: Insights from Nobel Laureates, for scientists everywhere: How important is a journal’s impact factor? By Peter Doherty Opens in new window
- What are the top-ranked open access journals for oncology? Opens in new window
- What are altmetrics and how do I look them up? Opens in new window
- How do I look up journals by impact factor? Opens in new window
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... Response from the MD Anderson Librarian...
Yes, the NEJM has a 2015 impact factor of 59.558. There are 25 journals tracked by Journal Citation Reports that have an impact factor of 30 or higher.
The higher the Impact Factor, the better the journal. The 2.88 means that on average, any article published in that journal will be cited 2.88 times. You would have to compare this journal to journals in the same field to determine how it compares.