In the discussion paper on this issue, Vanclay (2011) describes and uncovers several weaknesses of the JIF based on a thorough literature review and detailed empirical analyses. In this short comment we would like to add the results of two studies to the discussion around the JIF. In these studies we investigated the effect of several versions of one and the same manuscript published by a journal on its JIF.
Bornmann, L, Neuhaus, C, Daniel, H-D 2011 The effect of a two-stage publication process on the journal impact factor: a case study on the interactive open access journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Scientometrics 86:93–97 .
Braun, T, Glänzel, W 1995 The sweet and sour of journal citation rates. On a source of error in computing impact factors. The Chemical Intelligencer 1:31–32.
Buchanan, RA 2006 Accuracy of cited references: the role of citation databases. College & Research Libraries 67 4 292–303.
Koop, T., & Pöschl, U., (2006). Systems: an open, two-stage peer-review journal. The editors of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics explain their journal's approach. http://www.nature.com/nature/peerreview/debate/nature04988.html. Accessed 26 June 2006.
Kumar, V, Upadhyay, S, Medhi, B 2009 Impact of the impact factor in biomedical research: its use and misuse. Singapore Medical Journal 50 8 752–755.
Marx, W 2001 Angewandte Chemie in light of the “Science Citation Index”. Angewandte Chemie International edition 40 1 139–143 .
Marx, W 2011 Special features of historical papers from the viewpoint of bibliometrics. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 62 3 433–439 .
Moed, HF TN van Leeuwen Reedijk, J 1996 A critical analysis of the journal impact factors of Angewandte Chemie and the Journal of the American Chemical Society - inaccuracies in published impact factors based on overall citations only. Scientometrics 37 1 105–116 .
Pöschl, U 2004 Interactive journal concept for improved scientific publishing and quality assurance. Learned Publishing 17 2 105–113 .
Retzer, V, Jurasinski, G 2009 Towards objectivity in research evaluation using bibliometric indicators: a protocol for incorporating complexity. Basic and Applied Ecology 10 5 393–400 .
Vanclay, J. K. (2011). Impact Factor: outdated artefact or stepping-stone to journal certification?. Scientometrics. doi: .