Impact Factor Calculator
Calculate journal impact factor from citations and publication data
Calculate Journal Impact Factor
Year for which impact factor is being calculated
Citations received by articles published in previous 2 years
Citable items published in 2023
Citable items published in 2022
Impact Factor Results
Impact Factor Formula
Example Calculation
Sample Journal Data
Calculation
Total Publications = 36 + 38 = 74
Impact Factor = 98 ÷ 74 = 1.324
Interpretation: Articles in this journal are cited 1.324 times on average
Impact Factor Analysis
Impact Factor Ranges
Key Factors
Citations
Number of times articles are cited
Higher citations = higher impact
Publications
Citable items published
Articles, reviews, not editorials
Time Window
2-year citation window
Some use 5-year windows
Field Context
Varies by research area
Compare within same field
Limitations
Field differences - life sciences typically higher than mathematics
Self-citations and citation manipulation possible
Short citation window may not reflect long-term impact
Quality of individual articles may vary within same journal
Understanding Impact Factor
What is Impact Factor?
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's calculated by dividing the number of citations in a given year by the total number of articles published in the two preceding years.
Why is it Important?
- •Helps assess journal quality and prestige
- •Influences academic career advancement
- •Affects funding and grant applications
- •Guides publication strategy decisions
Calculation Method
IF = Citations(Year N) / [Publications(Year N-1) + Publications(Year N-2)]
Best Practices
Note: Impact factor should be one of several metrics used to evaluate journal quality, not the sole criterion for publication decisions.
Alternative Metrics
h-index
Measures both productivity and citation impact of publications. An h-index of 10 means 10 papers with at least 10 citations each.
Eigenfactor
Considers the source of citations, giving more weight to citations from highly-cited journals. More nuanced than simple citation counts.
CiteScore
Uses a 4-year citation window instead of 2 years, and includes more document types. Often produces higher values than IF.