Citation:
Jeremy J. Ramsden, Impact factors-a critique. Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry, Vol.9, 2009, p.139-140
Abstract:
The so-called impact factor (IF) started as a rather
esoteric scientometric tool, itself derived from the
science citation index (SCI), which originated with
Eugene Garfield in the 1950s. The IF of a journal for a
particular year is defined as the quotient of the number of
citations received in that year by papers published in that
journal in the two preceding years and the number of
“citable” papers published in those two years. Had the IF
remained, as might have been reasonable to expect, a
specialist statistic mainly of interest to information professionals
as represented by librarians and others there would
be no need to expend energy on criticizing it. Unfortunately
its use—or rather misuse—has vastly expanded in recent
years, which makes criticism very necessary.
