Dear Kathy,

Thank you for this important information. Google's initiative in this area will surely be path-breaking and a great succor to open-access publishing.

I am sharing your message with our JRP enthusiasts (in the "research_practice" YahooGroup).

DP
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Copy: Forum "research_practice" -- Dear Friends, Some of you have been thinking about "impact factor." Our journal coordinator, Kathy provides some useful information on the topic (please see below).

2009/7/15 Kathy Killoh <kathyk@...>

Hi DP,

A journal impact factor is a product created by Thompson ISI and is only available for those journals in which they index.  This has become increasingly more frustrating for newer online journals, as it is very difficult to have a journal added to their list.  I only have one journal they index and that is because they have been around (and in print) since the  mid 1970's.  Most of our journals are relying on using the citation numbers that are displayed in google scholar for their individual articles (however, this is not the same as the "impact factor").  I have recently returned from two conferences where this issue was discussed and it looks like Google may be leading the way to the development of a new measure that will be more inclusive.

Here is an overview of what a "Journal Impact Factor" is and how it is calculated:

"Journal Impact Factor is from Journal Citation Report (JCR), a product of Thomson ISI (Institute for Scientific Information). JCR provides quantitative tools for evaluating journals. The impact factor is one of these; it is a measure of the frequency with which the "average article" in a journal has been cited in a given period of time.

The impact factor for a journal is calculated based on a three-year period, and can be considered to be the average number of times published papers are cited up to two years after publication. For example, the impact factor 2009 for a journal would be calculated as follows:

A = the number of times articles published in 2008-9 were cited in indexed journals during 2010

B = the number of articles, reviews, proceedings or notes published in 2008-9

impact factor 2010 = A/B"


Regards,
Kathy

 

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Kathy Killoh
Journals and Digital Coordinator
AU Press
Athabasca University
Peace Hills Trust Tower
1200, 10011 – 109 Street
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5J 3S8

E-mail: kathyk@...
phone: (780) 421-2528
http://www.aupress.ca