What is Impact Factor?

John Bond
10 Nov 201603:46
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRJohn Bond from Riverwinds Consulting introduces the concept of Impact Factor, a metric used to gauge a journal's significance in its academic field. Published by Thomson Reuters, it's calculated based on citations received by articles from the last two years, divided by the total articles published. While Impact Factor is valuable for comparing journals within the same field, it has limitations, such as being unable to fully measure a journal's importance and being susceptible to manipulation. Despite criticisms, it remains an important metric, with the potential to evolve alongside author, institutional, and article-level metrics.

Takeaways
  • 📚 Impact Factor is a metric used to gauge the relative importance of a journal within its scholarly field.
  • 📈 A high Impact Factor is generally seen as positive, indicating a journal's influence, while a lower one is viewed less favorably.
  • 📘 The Impact Factor is calculated using the Journal Citation Report (JCR) by Thomson Reuters, which was founded in 1975.
  • 🌐 JCR covers a wide range of journals, approximately 11,000 from over 2,500 publishers across 80 different countries.
  • 🔢 The calculation for Impact Factor involves dividing the total number of citations for articles published in the last two years by the total number of articles published in those years.
  • 🗓 Impact Factors are reported for the previous year, meaning the 2016 Impact Factor reflects the data from 2015.
  • 📝 Impact Factors are intended for comparison within specific fields and should not be used to compare journals across different fields.
  • 📊 There exists a 5-year Impact Factor, but it is less commonly used than the standard Impact Factor.
  • 🚫 The Impact Factor system has its critics, with arguments that it doesn't accurately measure a journal's true importance.
  • 💡 Concerns exist that a single influential article can skew a journal's Impact Factor, and that self-citing practices can artificially inflate it.
  • 🛠 Despite criticisms, the Impact Factor remains a significant metric, but it is expected to evolve alongside author, institutional, and article level metrics.
Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of Impact Factor?

    -Impact Factor is used as a stand-in for the relative importance of a journal within its scholarly field. It is considered a metric to gauge the average number of citations a journal's articles receive.

  • Who publishes the Journal Citation Report, which includes Impact Factors?

    -The Journal Citation Report (JCR) is published by Thomson Reuters, a for-profit company that was founded in 1975.

  • How many journals does the Journal Citation Report cover?

    -The Journal Citation Report covers approximately 11,000 journals from around 2,500 publishers across about 80 different countries.

  • How is the Impact Factor of a journal calculated?

    -The Impact Factor for a journal is calculated by dividing the total number of citations for all articles published in the preceding two years by the total number of articles published in that journal during those years.

  • What does an Impact Factor of 2 in 2015 signify for a journal?

    -An Impact Factor of 2 in 2015 means that, on average, all the articles published in 2013 and 2014 by that journal received two citations each during that time period.

  • Why are Impact Factors not suitable for comparing journals across different fields?

    -Impact Factors are meant to compare journals within a specific field because citation practices and impact vary widely across different scholarly disciplines.

  • What is a 5-year Impact Factor and why is it less commonly used?

    -A 5-year Impact Factor extends the citation window to five years instead of two. It is used by fewer authors and librarians because the standard two-year Impact Factor is more common and widely recognized.

  • What are some criticisms of the Impact Factor system?

    -Critics argue that Impact Factor can't truly measure a journal's importance, as it may be skewed by a single groundbreaking article, self-citations, or editorial decisions that affect the type of content published.

  • How can the Impact Factor be manipulated or 'gamed'?

    -The Impact Factor can be manipulated through practices like self-citations by editors, editorial boards, or authors, which artificially inflate the citation count.

  • What are some alternatives to Impact Factor that are mentioned in the script?

    -The script mentions author level metrics, institutional level metrics, and article level metrics as alternatives that could help evolve the current system of evaluating scholarly impact.

  • What does the speaker suggest for the future of Impact Factor?

    -The speaker suggests that while Impact Factor will continue to be important, it will need to grow and evolve within the system, potentially incorporating alternative metrics like altmetrics.

Outlines
00:00
📚 Introduction to Impact Factor

John Bond from Riverwinds Consulting introduces the concept of Impact Factor, a metric used to gauge the relative importance of a journal within its scholarly field. He explains that a high Impact Factor is generally seen as positive, indicating a journal's influence. The calculation is based on data from the Journal Citation Report (JCR) by Thomson Reuters, which was established in 1975 and draws from the Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index. The JCR covers a vast array of journals from numerous publishers across different countries. The calculation method involves dividing the total citations of articles published in the past two years by the total number of articles published in the same period. For instance, an Impact Factor of 2 in 2015 means that articles from 2013 and 2014 have been cited twice on average. It's also noted that Impact Factors are reported for the previous year, and they are intended for comparison within specific fields rather than across different fields. Additionally, there is a mention of a 5-year Impact Factor, which is less commonly used.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Impact Factor
Impact Factor is a metric used to measure the relative importance of a journal within its academic field. It is calculated by dividing the total number of citations for all articles published in the preceding two years by the total number of articles published in that journal during those two years. The term is central to the video's theme as it discusses the use and criticism of Impact Factor in the academic publishing world. For example, the script mentions that 'a high Impact Factor is considered good; a lower Impact Factor not as much', indicating its significance in evaluating journals.
💡Journal Citation Report (JCR)
The Journal Citation Report is a product published by Thomson Reuters that provides Impact Factors for journals. It is foundational to the concept of Impact Factor discussed in the video, as it is the source from which these metrics are derived. The JCR was founded in 1975 and is based on the Science Citation Index and the Social Science Citation Index, covering a wide range of journals from various publishers and countries. The script refers to JCR as the basis for calculating Impact Factors, emphasizing its role in academic evaluation.
💡Science Citation Index
The Science Citation Index is a database that indexes citations between scientific papers. It is one of the two main sources from which the Journal Citation Report and, consequently, Impact Factors are derived. The video script mentions that the JCR is derived from the Science Citation Index, highlighting its importance in the calculation of Impact Factors and its contribution to the evaluation of scientific literature.
💡Social Science Citation Index
Similar to the Science Citation Index, the Social Science Citation Index is another database that indexes citations, but specifically for social science literature. It is also a source for the Journal Citation Report and Impact Factor calculations. The script points out that the JCR is derived from both the Science Citation Index and the Social Science Citation Index, indicating its role in the broader academic community.
💡Citations
Citations are references to other works that are made within an academic article. They are a key component in calculating the Impact Factor, as the total number of citations a journal's articles receive is used in the formula. The video script explains that 'the Impact Factor for a journal is calculated by the total number of citations for all the articles published in the preceding two years', showing how citations directly influence a journal's perceived importance.
💡Scholarly Field
A scholarly field refers to a specific area of academic study or research. The Impact Factor is used to gauge the relative importance of journals within their respective scholarly fields. The script mentions that Impact Factors are used to compare journals 'within a specific field', indicating that the metric is field-specific and not meant for cross-field comparisons.
💡5-year Impact Factor
The 5-year Impact Factor is an alternative metric that some authors and librarians use, which considers citations over a five-year period instead of two. It is mentioned in the script as being less common than the standard Impact Factor, suggesting that it is not as widely used but still part of the discussion on journal evaluation metrics.
💡Gaming the System
Gaming the system refers to the practice of manipulating or exploiting a process to achieve a desired outcome, often in an unethical or unfair manner. In the context of the video, it is mentioned that editors, editorial boards, or authors can 'knowingly self-cite the publication thereby affecting Impact Factor'. This highlights a concern that the Impact Factor can be artificially inflated, which undermines its reliability as a metric.
💡Self-Cite
Self-citing is the act of an author citing their own previous work in a new publication. While it can be legitimate in some cases, the video script raises it as a concern when done with the intent to inflate a journal's Impact Factor. The script notes that Thomson Reuters does not endorse this practice and works to prevent it, indicating the need for ethical considerations in citation practices.
💡Review Articles
Review articles are a type of academic paper that summarize and evaluate existing research within a particular field. The video script suggests that publishing decisions, such as focusing only on review articles, can affect a journal's Impact Factor. This implies that the content strategy of a journal may be influenced by the desire to optimize its Impact Factor.
💡Altmetrics
Altmetrics, short for alternative metrics, refers to a set of metrics that go beyond traditional citation counts to measure the impact of scholarly works. The video script mentions altmetrics as part of the evolution of Impact Factor, suggesting that new ways of assessing the value and influence of research are emerging alongside or as an alternative to the traditional Impact Factor.
Highlights

Impact Factor is a measure of a journal's relative importance in its scholarly field.

A high Impact Factor is generally considered more prestigious.

Impact Factor is calculated using the Journal Citation Report (JCR).

JCR is published by Thomson Reuters, a for-profit company.

The calculation of Impact Factor is based on citations over the preceding two years.

Impact Factor formula: Total citations / Total articles published in two years.

Example: An Impact Factor of 2 means articles have an average of 2 citations each.

Impact Factors are typically reported for the previous year.

Impact Factors are used for comparing journals within the same field, not across different fields.

A 5-year Impact Factor exists but is less commonly used.

Impact Factor is criticized for not accurately measuring a journal's importance.

A single influential article can skew a journal's Impact Factor.

There are concerns about 'gaming the system' through self-citations.

Thomson Reuters works to prevent manipulation of Impact Factor.

Publishing decisions can influence a journal's Impact Factor.

Impact Factor's importance is recognized, but it is subject to criticism.

Evolution of Impact Factor is expected with author, institutional, and article level metrics.

Altmetrics will play a role in the evolution of Impact Factor measurement.

The speaker invites viewers to subscribe and engage with more content on Impact Factor.

Transcripts

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Impact FactorAcademic JournalsJournal CitationThomson ReutersCitation AnalysisScholarly MetricsPublishing StandardsResearch EvaluationSelf-CitationMetrics Evolution