Impact Factor
A metric measuring how frequently articles in a particular journal are cited, used to gauge the journal's importance in its field.
The Journal Impact Factor (JIF), calculated by Clarivate Analytics, measures the average number of citations received by articles published in a journal over the previous two years. A journal with an impact factor of 10 means its articles receive an average of 10 citations each. While widely used as a proxy for journal prestige, the impact factor has significant limitations: it is skewed by a small number of highly cited papers, varies dramatically across disciplines, and can be manipulated through editorial practices. Despite criticism, it remains influential in academic hiring, promotion, and funding decisions.
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