Publications in scientific journals are an integral part of a scientist's work. That is why it is important to take a responsible approach to choosing a journal in which to present research results, as this determines its visibility in the scientific community. Impact factor is used for evaluation and selecting a suitable journal for publication. Today we will take a closer look at what this indicator is and how it helps to evaluate journals on the Web of Science database.
Impact factor: what is it?
The Impact Factor (IF) – is a special metric used to determine the level of influence and authority of scientific journals on the Web of Science database. This indicator helps to assess how often articles published in a particular journal over the previous 2 years are cited in other scientific papers.
Every year in July, Web of Science publishes an analytical report called Journal Citation Reports, which contains detailed information about the impact factor of scientific journals. This report provides important data on the citation of articles published in thousands of journals in various fields of knowledge. It is an important tool for researchers, journal editors, and academic institutions, as it allows them to assess the impact of a particular journal on the scientific community.
Calculating the impact factor
To find out the impact factor of a particular journal, you don't need a lot of data. All you need to know is the number of citations to articles in a particular scientific journal, as well as the total number of articles in the previous two years. The calculation is based on the following formula:
To better understand the principle of calculating the impact factor, let's look at an example. We need to determine the IF of a scientific journal for 2024. We have the following data to calculate: in 2024, articles published in the last two years (2022 and 2023) were cited 2356 times; the total number of articles published in the journal in the last two years (2022 and 2023) is 854. Now add the values to the formula to calculate the indicator. As a result, we get an impact factor of 2.759.
Types of impact factors
It is worth noting that depending on the time period covered by the calculations, impact factors are divided into several types:
- 2-year – the most common indicator of the impact of journals, which shows the number of citations of articles for 2 years from the date of publication of the article;
- 5-year – determines the number of citations for 5 years from the date of publication of the article;
- 10-year – determines the number of citations for 10 years from the date of publication of the article;
- 1-year – also called operational. It covers only one year from the date of publication of the article.
The use of a particular type of impact factor depends on the specifics of the scientific field. Each of these options gives a different picture of the citation of publications and allows for a correct assessment of the scientific impact of a journal in different contexts.
For example, articles in the humanities and social sciences remain relevant for much longer than those in natural and technical disciplines. Therefore, it is more appropriate to use a 5-year or even 10-year impact factor for these sciences, as scientific ideas and research results in these areas develop gradually and can be cited for a longer period of time.
Thus, the variety of options for calculating the impact factor makes it possible to more reasonably assess the impact of journals, taking into account the specifics of different scientific fields.
What is considered a high impact factor?
It is worth noting that there is no universal answer to the question of what is a high impact factor. This is because each scientific field has its own norms and standards for the level of impact factor. For example, in some disciplines, an impact factor of 2 may be considered a high indicator of impact, while in others, particularly in fields where scientific publications are highly cited, an impact factor of 10 is considered a success. Therefore, when assessing the impact factor, it is important to take into account the specifics of a particular scientific field.
Journal Citation Reports has published a rating of the average impact factor in various scientific fields. According to the data presented, neuroscience journals have the highest impact indicators. Their average value is 4.74. Instead, the lowest impact factor belongs to journals related to veterinary medicine. This difference indicates that the level of influence of a particular journal should be assessed solely within its scientific discipline.
How is the Impact Factor used in Web of Science?
1. Assessing the impact of a journal
The Impact Factor allows you to determine how often articles published in a particular journal over the past two years are cited in other scientific publications. This gives an idea of the scientific impact of the journal and its authority in the scientific community.
2. Search and filter journals
Web of Science users can use the Impact Factor to filter journals when searching for literature. This allows researchers and academic institutions to find the most cited and influential journals in their field.
3. Comparison of journals
The Impact Factor allows you to compare journals from different scientific fields by their citation level. This is important for researchers who choose a journal to publish their research, as high citation of a journal often indicates its high scientific status.
4. Journal ranking
The Web of Science also uses the impact factor to create rankings of journals in various scientific disciplines. This allows comparing them in terms of quality and citation, as well as identifying leaders in certain fields of knowledge.
The Impact Factor is an effective tool for assessing the impact and credibility of a scientific journal. It helps researchers choose a journal for publication and is an important indicator of the journal's scientific reputation. This indicator helps to assess the level of citation of articles and their impact on the scientific community.
If you need help with choosing a suitable journal for publication in Web of Science, please contact "Scientific Publications". Our specialists are ready to advise you, select a journal that suits the topic of your article, and accompany you at all stages of the process. Fill out the form below, and our manager will contact you as soon as possible. Let's achieve new scientific achievements together!
