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Journal-level metrics

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Journal-level metrics Norsk flagg

Journal metrics provide an overview of a journal’s visibility, influence, and editorial standards, including peer review, transparency, and ethical practices. They should not be used to evaluate individual articles or authors, as they reflect the journal as a whole rather than specific research outputs.

1. Journal Impact Factor (JIF - Clarivate)

The Journal impact Factor (JIF) is an annual metric created by Clarivate that measures the average number of citations received each year by articles published in a journal over the previous two years. It is calculated by dividing the total number of citations in a given year to articles (including non-scholarly material) published in the previous two years by the total number of scholarly items (i.e. articles, reviews, and proceedings) published during the same period.

Advantages Limitations
  • aims to provide a quick indication of a journal’s citation impact and visibility

  • it is a standardised measure, allowing journals to be compared within the same field
  • tends to favour disciplines with higher citation rates

  • can be strongly influenced by a small number of highly cited articles

  • may be affected by editorial practices, such as self-citation, publishing more review articles, or increasing the number of non-scholarly items

  • the score is limited to journals and publications indexed in the Web of Science.

Read more about The Clarivate Impact Factor | The Journal Impact Factor Limitations

2. Five-Year Journal Impact Factor (Clarivate)

Similar to JIF, but based on citations over a five-year period, providing a broader perspective on a journal’s influence.

Advantages Limitations
  • provides a broader view of journal visibility by considering citations over five years

  • reduces the effect of short-term fluctuations in citation patterns

  • particularly useful in fields where citations accumulate more slowly
  • does not account for differences in citation practices between disciplines

  • can be influenced by highly cited publications and editorial practices that increase citation counts

  • the score is limited to journals and publications indexed in the Web of Science

Read more about The Clarivate Impact Factor

3. CiteScore (Scopus)

CiteScore is a metric developed by Elsevier using data from the Scopus database. It measures the citations received by a journal over a four-year period divided by the total number of peer-reviewed documents published in those four years. It provides a broader indication of a journal’s citation impact.

Advantages Limitations
  • provides a broader view of citation impact by using a four-year citation window

  • includes a wider range of document types than the JIF

  • uses a transparent methodology and provides an alternative to the JIF
  • can be influenced by highly cited review articles

  • differences in citation practices between disciplines limit cross-field comparisons

  • the score is limited to publications indexed in Scopus

Read more about Scopus CiteScore

4. SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)

The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) measures the average number of weighted citations received by a journal’s publications over the past three years. Citations from more prestigious journals carry greater weight than those from less influential ones. Calculations are based on citation data from the Scopus database. 

Advantages Limitations
  • considers both the number and influence (i.e. reputation of the citing journals) of citations received

  • provides a broader view of a journal’s position within citation networks
  • more complex than citation-count-based metrics, making it harder to calculate and interpret

Read more about Scimago Journal & Country Rank

5. Journal Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate of a journal indicates the percentage of submitted manuscripts accepted for publication, often reflecting selectivity and editorial standards.There is no single database that lists acceptance rates for every academic journal but it can be found on journal and publisher homepages.

Advantages Limitations
  • provides an indication of a journal’s selectivity and competitiveness

  • can provide insight into the journal’s editorial and peer-review processes
  • acceptance rates vary by discipline, journal scope, and submission volume, limiting comparisons

  • a low acceptance rate does not necessarily indicate higher research quality

  • can reflect editorial policies and submission patterns rather than research quality

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Questions?

For questions about publication data, assistance with your own bibliometric analysis, or advice on managing researcher profiles and improving the visibility of your research, email us at forskning@ub.uit.no.

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