Who calculates official impact factors?

Clarivate Analytics calculates the official Journal Impact Factor (JIF) published in Journal Citation Reports.

Can impact factor be gamed?

Yes, through editorial self-citation, review articles, and publication timing. This is why multiple metrics should be used.

Not necessarily. Niche fields have lower citation rates. A specialized journal with IF 2.0 may be top-tier in its field.

Calculate a journal-style impact factor by dividing recent citations by recent publications over a defined window.

Citations This Year to Articles in Window

Articles Published in Window

Window (Years)

Impact Factor

4.000

Avg Articles per Year40.0

Impact Factor vs Citations This Year to Articles in Window

The impact factor (IF) measures how frequently articles from a journal are cited.

IF = Citations in Current Year to Articles Published in Prior Window / Total Articles in Window

The standard window is 2 years. A journal that published 80 articles in 2 years and received 320 citations to those articles has an IF of 4.0.

IF > 10: High impact

IF 3-10: Good impact

IF 1-3: Moderate impact

IF < 1: Lower impact

A journal published 80 articles in the last 2 years and received 320 citations to those articles this year.