1. What is Impact Factor?

The Impact Factor (IF) 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:

• \( citations\_in\_year \) — Number of citations in current year to articles published in previous years
• \( articles\_in\_previous\_years \) — Number of citable articles published in previous years

Explanation: The equation shows the ratio between citations and recent citable items published.

3. Importance of Impact Factor

Details: Impact Factor is widely used (though controversial) as a proxy for journal quality and importance in academic publishing and research evaluation.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of citations received in the current year for articles published in the previous 1-2 years, and the total number of citable items published in those previous years.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What time period does Impact Factor cover?
A: Typically, citations in one year to articles published in the previous two years (though some variants use different time windows).

Q2: What is a good Impact Factor?
A: This varies by field. In general, IF > 10 is excellent, 3-10 is good, and <3 is average or below average, but field-specific norms differ greatly.

Q3: What are limitations of Impact Factor?
A: It can be manipulated, doesn't account for article quality, favors certain fields, and doesn't reflect individual article impact.

Q4: How often is Impact Factor updated?
A: Annually, as part of Journal Citation Reports published by Clarivate Analytics.

Q5: Are there alternatives to Impact Factor?
A: Yes, including CiteScore, SCImago Journal Rank, Eigenfactor, and altmetrics.