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A modification of citation-based journal indexes

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  • Hui Fang

    (Nanjing University)

Abstract

The journal indexes currently used to rank journals adopt a short citation window, which has long been criticized. In particular, journals with a prolonged impact are underestimated by this method. By combining the features of synchronic and diachronic journal impact factors, Fang (Scientometrics 125:2265–2282, 2020) proposed the integral synchronic journal impact factor (IIF). The citation window of the IIF can be enlarged without reducing the index value. Therefore, the IIF can effectively and fairly reflect the impact of journals with different citation patterns on the scientific community. To overcome the defect that the IIF might be unstable if a journal publishes few papers in individual years, this work modifies the IIF by borrowing the idea of the new CiteScore: using the citation counts of the adjacent previous years to assist in evaluating the impact level of the journal in the focal year. The modified index can be regarded as a combination of the JIFs and CiteScore. The experimental results show that the modified journal index is more stable over time than the IIF while retaining the associated advantages.

Suggested Citation

  • Hui Fang, 2023. "A modification of citation-based journal indexes," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(2), pages 1119-1132, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:128:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-022-04594-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04594-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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