1. What Is Impact Factor?

The Impact Factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times its articles are cited.

2. How Does The Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Impact Factor formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Citations in Year Y to Articles in Y-1 and Y-2} \) — Number of citations received in the current year to articles published in the previous two years
• \( \text{Citable Articles in Y-1 and Y-2} \) — Number of citable articles published in the previous two years

Explanation: The Impact Factor provides a quantitative assessment of a journal's influence by comparing citations to citable articles over a two-year period.

3. Importance Of Impact Factor

Details: Impact Factor is widely used in academia and research to evaluate journal quality, make publication decisions, and assess research impact. Higher impact factors generally indicate more influential journals in their field.

4. Using The Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of citations received in the current year for articles published in the previous two years, and the total number of citable articles published in those two years. Both values must be valid (citations ≥ 0, citable articles > 0).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is considered a good Impact Factor?
A: Impact Factor values vary by field. Generally, above 10 is excellent, 5-10 is very good, 3-5 is good, and below 3 is average to low, but this depends heavily on the specific academic discipline.

Q2: How often is Impact Factor calculated?
A: Impact Factor is calculated annually and published in Journal Citation Reports (JCR) by Clarivate Analytics.

Q3: What are the limitations of Impact Factor?
A: Limitations include field-dependent variations, potential for manipulation, not accounting for article quality, and favoring journals that publish review articles.

Q4: Can Impact Factor be used to evaluate individual researchers?
A: While sometimes used this way, Impact Factor is designed to measure journal performance, not individual researcher performance. Other metrics like h-index are more appropriate for individuals.

Q5: What is the difference between 2-year and 5-year Impact Factor?
A: 2-year Impact Factor uses citations from two previous years, while 5-year Impact Factor uses citations from five previous years, providing a longer-term perspective of journal influence.