Journal Impact Factor

What you should know

The Journal Impact Factor (JIF) is published each year by Clarivate in the Journal Citation Reports. In simple terms, it divides the citations a journal received in a year to items from the previous two years by the number of citable items in those two years.

It describes a journal, not your article. Alternatives such as CiteScore and SJR from Scopus measure similar things in different ways. Use several signals, and always verify the number at the official source.

How PhDPRIMA helps, end to end

1. Verification of impact factor and quartile at the official source
2. Comparison of JIF, CiteScore and SJR for your shortlisted journals
3. Balance of prestige, scope fit and turnaround so you publish on time
4. Research and manuscript strategy suited to the journal’s level

How to check it yourself

• Use only Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports for the official JIF
• Be wary of “impact factors” from other agencies that you cannot verify
• Check the year: impact factors are updated annually

Common questions

Does a higher impact factor mean a better paper?

Not by itself. The impact factor reflects the journal’s citations, not any single paper’s quality.

Where do I check the real impact factor?

In Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports, usually through your university library. Journals that quote a different source need extra checking.