Scientometrics
Volume/Issue:
Volume 87: Issue 1
Empirical study of journal impact factors obtained using the classical two-year citation window versus a five-year citation window
Author:
Juan Miguel Campanario Departamento de Física, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

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Pages:
189–204
Online Publication Date:
01 Jan 2011
Publication Date:
01 Apr 2011
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-010-0334-1
Keywords (English):
Journal impact factor; Citation window
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Abstract

In this article I study characteristics of the journal impact factor (JIF) computed using a 5-year citation window as compared with the classical JIF computed using a 2-year citation window. Since 2007 ISI-Thomson Reuters has published the new 5-year impact factor in the JCR database. I studied changes in the distribution of JIFs when the citation window was enlarged. The distributions of journals according their 5-year JIFs were very similar all years studied, and were also similar to the distribution according to the 2-year JIFs. In about 72% of journals, the JIF increased when the longer citation window was used. Plots of 5-year JIFs against rank closely followed a beta function with two exponents. Thus, the 5-year JIF seems to behave very similarly to the 2-year JIF. The results also suggest that gains in JIF with the longer citation window tend to distribute similarly in all years. Changes in these gains also tend to distribute similarly from 1 year to the following year.

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Cover Scientometrics
Scientometrics
Print ISSN:
0138-9130
Online ISSN:
1588-2861

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Scientometrics
Language English
Size B5
Year of
Foundation		 1978
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 12
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0138-9130 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2861 (Online)

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