Life and times of the impact factor: retrospective analysis of trends for seven medical journals (1994-2005) and their Editors’ views

Abstract

IFs of the journals studied rose in the 12-year period due to rising numerators and/or falling denominators, to varying extents. Journal Editors perceived that this occurred for various reasons, including deliberate editorial practices. The vulnerability of the IF to editorial manipulation and Editors' dissatisfaction with it as the sole measure of journal quality lend weight to the need for complementary measures.

The role of correspondence sections in post-publication peer review: A bibliometric study of general and internal medicine journals

“…A recent survey of journal editors indicated that their decisions may be influenced by considerations relating to the journal's bibliometric performance and the relative contribution of a journal's sections to the journal impact factor [8]. Correspondence sections and the citations related to their content play a role in the calculation of this indicator: While these citations count towards the numerator the letters themselves are not considered original items and do not count to the denominator [21].…”

The perceived impact of publications on Neglected Tropical Zoonoses as measured by their impact factor

“…However, the increased availability of search engines might render the selection of a journal less dependent on it readership. More recent studies have found that editors of medical journals actively seek out and select the research that is both of interest to their readers and likely to increase the impact of the journal (Chew et al 2007;Krell 2010). Given that editors of leading medical journals are almost exclusively recruited among high income groups, they might be biased towards selecting research on health priorities of the rich world (Horton 2003;Bakker and Rigter 1985).…”

“…Saha et al 2003;Catling et al 2009;Regazzi and Aytac 2008). Moreover, editors of journals are known to select those publications that are likely to increase the impact factor of the journal by being cited often (Krell 2010;Chew et al 2007;Matias-Guiu and Garcia-Ramos 2008). Finally, funding agencies often use impact factors when judging the importance of scientific output (see Morel et al 2009, for a discussion in the context of public health).…”

Fator de impacto: importância e influência no meio editorial, acadêmico e científico

“…18 Em uma análise de sete periódicos médicos gerais (Arch Intern Med, BMJ, CMAJ, JAMA, Lancet, Med J Aust, N Engl J Med) em um período de 12 anos, 18 revelou que os editores participaram ativamente, recrutando artigos com alto impacto e oferecendo melhoria e facilidades a estes autores. Ao observar, por exemplo, o Swiss Medical Weekly (SMW), é comum encontrar em suas páginas a oferta de suporte de estatística e outras facilidades para atrair contribuições, além do que alardeia que o seu FI ultrapassou a 1,5 e está aumentando.…”