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Impact Factor Formula:
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Journal Impact Factor (IF) is a measure reflecting the yearly average number of citations to recent articles published in that journal. It is frequently used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field.
The calculator uses the standard Impact Factor formula:
Where:
Explanation: The Impact Factor represents the average number of citations per published article over a two-year period.
Details: Impact Factor is widely used in academic publishing to assess journal quality, make publication decisions, and evaluate research performance. However, it should be used with caution as it has limitations.
Tips: Enter the number of citations received in the current year for articles published in the previous two years, and the number of citable articles published in those two years.
Q1: What is considered a good Impact Factor?
A: This varies by field. In general, IF > 10 is excellent, 5-10 is very good, 3-5 is good, and below 3 is average to low, but field-specific norms differ significantly.
Q2: How often is Impact Factor updated?
A: Journal Impact Factors are typically updated annually by Clarivate Analytics in their Journal Citation Reports.
Q3: What are the limitations of Impact Factor?
A: Limitations include field-dependent citation practices, self-citations, review article bias, and not reflecting individual article quality.
Q4: Can Impact Factor be manipulated?
A: Yes, through practices like coercive citation, publishing more review articles, or editorial policies that encourage self-citation.
Q5: Are there alternatives to Impact Factor?
A: Yes, alternatives include CiteScore, SCImago Journal Rank, Eigenfactor, and article-level metrics like Altmetrics.