About Impact Factor Calculator (Formula)
The Impact Factor is a metric used in the field of academic publishing to assess the relative importance and influence of a scholarly journal. It measures the average number of citations received by articles published in the journal within a specific time period. The Impact Factor is widely used as a measure of the journal’s prestige and is often considered when evaluating the significance of research published in a particular journal.
The formula to calculate the Impact Factor for a journal is as follows:
Impact Factor = (Total number of citations in the current year) / (Total number of citable articles published in the previous two years)
Here’s a breakdown of the components used in the formula:
- Total number of citations in the current year: This refers to the total number of citations received by all articles published in the journal in the current year. Citations are references made by other scholarly articles to the articles published in the journal.
- Total number of citable articles published in the previous two years: This represents the sum of all articles published in the journal in the previous two years that are considered citable. Citable articles typically exclude items like editorials, news, or letters to the editor.
By dividing the total number of citations in the current year by the total number of citable articles published in the previous two years, the Impact Factor provides an average measure of the number of citations received by articles in a journal over a specific period.
It’s important to note that the Impact Factor should be interpreted and used with caution. It has limitations and should not be the sole factor for evaluating the quality or significance of individual articles or researchers. Additionally, its calculation and usage have been subject to criticism and alternative metrics have been proposed to provide a more comprehensive assessment of research impact.