How do I find the impact factor and ranking for a journal?

Answer

Use Journal Citation Reports (JCR).

Contents

• Introduction
• Step-By-Step
• Resources
• Help
• Related Topics

Introduction

The impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. The JCR also lists journals and their impact factors in the context of their specific field.

Step-By-Step

1. On the Library's Home page, locate the CORE RESOURCES - Popular Databases in the left-hand column, then select Journal Citation Reports.
2. To view the impact factor for a single journal:
   • Select a JCR edition (either Science or Social Sciences) and year.
   • Select Search for a specific journal, then click Submit.

   

3. The Journal Search page will let you search for journals by full journal title, abbreviated journal title, title word, or ISSN. Or click view list of full journal titles to see a complete list of titles.
   
   
4. The Journal Summary List page will show the impact factor for your selected journal. For additional analysis and explanation of impact factor and other measures, click the journal's title (e.g. CELL).
   
   
5. For additional analysis and explanation of impact factor and other measures, click the journal's title. Each journal title is assigned to one or more “Subject Categories.” These categories can be found under the Journal Information heading (immediately below the ranking chart).
   
   In this example, CELL belongs to two Subject Categories: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Cell Biology.
   
   
6. Click the Journal Ranking button (above) to see the rank of the journal in each category.
   
   In this example, CELL has the second highest Impact Factor out of the 263 journals in the “Biochemistry & Molecular Biology” category. CELL is also ranked second in the 156 journals in the “Cell Biology” category.
   
   
7. To view the Impact Factor for a group of journals by Subject Category:
   
   • Begin a new search by clicking the Welcome button in the upper left of the main JCR screen.
   • Select View a group of journals by Subject Category, then click Submit.
   • The Subject Category Selection page will let you search by one or more subject categories. Select a subject category (e.g. Physiology), check View Journal Data, select sort by: Impact Factor, then click Submit .

   

8. The journal summary list page will show the impact factor of the journals in your selected category or categories. For additional analysis and explanation of impact factor and other measures, click the journal's title (e.g. PHYSIOLOGY).
   
   

Resources

Utilize the vendor's free training aids:

• Journal Citation Report documentation from ISI (PDF Document)
• Journal Citation Reports tutorial from ISI

Help

For additional information about the Journal Citation Reports, Ask a Librarian (via phone, chat, or email) or schedule a consultation.

Related Topic: How Do I...

• Get help with Web of Science?
• Recieve email alerts from Web of Sciences on new articles on my topic?
• Find out if an article has been cited?
• Verify an incomplete citation for a journal article?
• Cite an electronic source for my bibliography?
  
• See a complete list of How Do I? documents at our website (http://www.hsl.virginia.edu/services/howdoi)