Skip to Main Content
Monash Health Library


Click here to chat with a librarian

What are journal metrics?

  • Journal metrics measure, compare, and often rank research and scholarly journal publications.
  • Journal-level metrics are usually based on the collective citation count of papers within a published journal. There a different types of metrics, each calculates and quantifies citation counts differently, across different date ranges. The table below provides an overview of several common journal-level metrics and where you can find them.
  • Authors may use journal metrics to identify journals in which to publish. A high ranking journal could have 
  • The best means of judging a journal based on the impact factor is noting the comparative score of the journal with others in the same field.

Key phrases

  • Metrics - Calculation usually based on citation counts in a journal over a certain time period. Each uses different data and calculation methods. Open the tab "Common journal level metrics" for a list with description and access links.
  • Normalised - A corrective metric to account for difference in citation potential in different fields. Allows for direct comparison across different disciplines
  • Ranking - lists created from journal metrics to help measure the relative prestige of a journal within a particular field.
    • Usually the higher metric score the higher the amount of citations a journal has received in a given time period.
    • Quartile: ranks journals from highest to lowest based on the impact factor score; Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 - where Q1 represents the top 25% of journals in a particular category.
    • Percentile: transforms ranking into percentile; 98% means the journal is in the top 2% of its subject field; allows more meaningful cross-discipline comparison.

Considerations and limitations

  • There are wide variations between the citation patterns across different research fields. The best means of judging a journal based on the impact factor is by comparing journal metric scores within the same discipline. 
  • Each type of journal metrics has limitations. Use 2-3 different metrics to make sure that you get an overall view.
  • Journal metrics are a reflective score. Be aware that previous journal performance may not reflect future citation counts.
  • Journals with very high impact factor may include some papers that are never cited.
  • The journal subject field is an important factor factor when deciding where to publish. A journal with a low impact score but that is highly relevant to your research field may reach a wider audience than a journal with high impact score but a less relevant field.
Metric How it is calculated and use  Where to find it

Journal Impact Factor (JIF)

 

 
  • The number of citations divided by the number of published items in a journal
  • 2 year period
  • Use only when comparing journals within the same discipline
 Journal Citation Reports (MH does not subscribe to this database)*

Source-normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP)                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                  
  • The number of citations within a journal based on citation potential within journal subject area.
  • 3 year period
  • >1 is above average
  • Normalised metric - Can use when comparing journals across different disciplines

Scopus Preview (free version of Scopus)
SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) 
  • Average number of weighted citations received in a year divided by number of documents published in previous 3 years
  • 4 year period
  • >1 is above average
  • Normalised metric - Can use when comparing journals across different disciplines

Scimago

Scopus Preview 
CiteScore
  • The number of citations received by a journal in one year to documents published in the three previous years, divided by the number of total documents in Scopus published in those same three years
  • 4 year period
  • Use only when comparing journals within the same discipline
 Scopus Preview
Eigenfactor (EF)
  • The number of citations Journal Citation Reports (JCR), but also evaluating the influence of the journals where those citing articles are being published
  • 5 year period
  • >1 is above average
 Eigenfactor.org
Journal Citation Indicator (JCI)
  • 3 year period
  • >1 is above average
  • Normalised metric - Can use when comparing journals across different disciplines
 Journal Citation Reports (MH does not subscribe to this database)*
h-index
(Hirsch index)
  • Representative of the average paper published in a given journal, a journal with a h-index of 20 has published 20 articles that have been cited 20 or more times.
  • No date range
  • Use only when comparing journals within the same discipline
 Scimago
Google Scholar Metrics
  • Uses h5-index and h5-median
  • 5 year period - Only top 20 journals displayed
  • Use only when comparing journals within the same discipline
 Google Scholar Metrics

*Note: Researchers affiliated with a university may have access to subscription databases such as Journal Citation Reports.

 

Monash Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples, and we pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future.

We are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment that embraces all backgrounds, cultures, sexualities, genders and abilities.