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1. www.le.ac.uk/library
Journal impact factors: use and misuse
Ian Rowlands
University Library
Research Festival 2014 Research Bytes 3

2. Journal impact factors
What are journal impact factors?
Where can I find them?
Three common pitfalls

3. What are journal impact factors?

5. The journal impact factor 2012 example
papers published
in 2010
papers published
in 2011
+

6. The journal impact factor 2012 example
citations accrued
during 2012
papers published
in 2010
papers published
in 2011
+
÷

7. The journal impact factor 2012 example
100 citations
accrued
during 2012
30 papers published
in 2010
20 papers published
in 2011
+
÷
JIF = 100 citations / 50 papers = 2.0

8. Where can I find them?

9. Where can I find them?

10. Journal Citation Reports
Journal Citation Reports ® Thomson Reuters 2012
Immunology subject category

11. Three common pitfalls
1. Don’t compare IFs across disciplines

12. Don’t compare IFs across disciplines
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0
History
Mathematics
Economics
Business
Polymer science
Materials science
Genetics and heredity
Multidisciplinary sciences
Mean journal impact factor (2012)
Source: Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports

13. Don’t compare IFs across disciplines
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Citationsrecieved
Years after publication
Genetics Mathematics

14. Don’t compare IFs across disciplines
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Citationsrecieved
Years after publication
Genetics Mathematics

15. Three common pitfalls
2. Take the rankings with a pinch of salt

16. Take the rankings with a pinch of salt
-125%
-100%
-75%
-50%
-25%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
125%
150%
175%
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Mean%changeinIF(2011on2010)
Journal size (2011 articles)

17. Take the rankings with a pinch of salt

18. Three common pitfalls
3. Don’t judge an article by its cover

19. Don’t judge an article by its cover

20. Don’t judge an article by its cover
top 10% of articles generate
40% of all citations …

21. Don’t judge an article by its cover
top 10% of articles generate
40% of all citations …
… 82% of articles are `below average’

22. Don’t judge an article by its cover
top 10% of articles generate
40% of all citations …
… 82% of articles are `below average’
Bill Gates gets on the train …

23. Don’t judge an article by its cover
2.051
49.926
54.333
2.076 2.244
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Acta Crystallographica Section A
Journal impact factor

24. Summary
• DO use IFs to target influential journals for reading or
potential publication
• DON’T compare IFs across disciplines
• DON’T take the rankings too literally
• DON’T confuse journal and article level metrics
• DO apply common sense

25. www.le.ac.uk/library
TOMORROW
Don’t lose credit for your research
Ian Rowlands
University Library
Research Festival 2014 Research Bytes 4
Attenborough ATT212, 13:00-13:30