Journal Impact Calculator
Compare the relative impact of publishing in different journals by normalizing citation rates against field averages.
Relative Citation Ratio
2.02
Relative Citation Ratio vs Journal Average Citations per Article
Understanding Relative Journal Impact
Comparing raw citation counts across fields is misleading because citation rates differ dramatically. The Relative Citation Ratio normalizes for this.
Formula
Relative Impact = Journal Avg Citations / Field Avg Citations
Citation Advantage = (Journal Avg - Field Avg) x Number of Articles
A ratio above 1.0 means the journal receives more citations than the field average. This helps researchers choose where to submit for maximum visibility.
Example Calculation
A journal averages 8.5 citations per article vs. the field average of 4.2. The researcher has 3 articles there.
- 01Relative impact: 8.5 / 4.2 = 2.02
- 02Expected citations: 8.5 x 3 = 25.5
- 03Field expected: 4.2 x 3 = 12.6
- 04Citation advantage: (8.5 - 4.2) x 3 = 12.9