Impact factor can be essential to practically any article or journal, allowing individuals to get a better understanding of how relevant the paper is. The higher a piece ranks in impact factor, the more informative it usually is. For the most part, this is an excellent tool for figuring out how reputable a journal or paper is at a glance.
Here’s everything you’ll need to know about how important impact factor can be to a paper and the meaning behind the rating.
So, what does Impact Factor Tell Us?
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Overall, it’s a good indication of how useful a research paper is and doesn’t usually give much more of an understanding of what to expect outside of this. If you’re hoping to find the most valuable papers possible, you can use ratings like impact factor to separate the more credible ones from the less reliable ones.
Of course, this rating isn’t necessarily the only factor that determines the worthiness of a journal. However, if you need to get an idea of what’s on offer without having to look too deeply into an article, it can be an excellent tool.
With so many different papers and articles within every field of science there is, having a quick and easy way to sort through them is certainly something that any researcher will find useful.
What is a Good Impact Factor Rating?
As mentioned earlier, the higher the number, the better. But how exactly are the individual classifications determined? The highest-ranking for writings in the medical/scientific field is 10, but it’s very rare for this to be awarded. With this in mind, you may expect to see a 5 for decent works, but 3 is considered a solid grade for an informational or technical piece. Even stranger still, the average score for many submissions often sits at around 1.
So, those that come under 3 are okay, but generally not worth the time, and those around the 10 mark will typically be extremely hard to come by (you’ll be lucky to find them, but they will certainly be the most reputable). Submissions ranked at 7 or 8 are considered excellent, so finding information from articles ranked anywhere between 3 and 8 should be sufficient for your needs (or you should be happy to have your work ranked at this level).
How is Impact Factor Measured?
In most cases, there are several things that can be taken into consideration when determining the impact factor of a paper, all of which lend to its credibility and relevance in the scientific world. The process takes two years, and information like how often it was cited and other metrics are calculated to see how well the piece has been received. It’s not a quick process, but it can be worthwhile in the end. Impact factor can be crucial in a variety of ways, especially to those who are writing a scientific paper and want to ensure that it’s as good as can be.