The document defines the impact factor as the average number of times articles from a journal published in the past two years have been cited in the current year's Journal Citation Reports. It explains that journals with high impact factors are cited frequently in other journals' references and citations. It provides instructions for finding the impact factor of a specific journal using the ISI Web of Knowledge database and Journal Citation Reports, which can be sorted by impact factor and other metrics like total citations and immediacy index.

1. Impact Factor
for Journals
Courtney Mlinar
Spring 2010

2. Definition of Impact Factor:
• average number of times articles from the journal
published in the past two years have been cited in
the Journal Citations Report year.

3. A Journal with great Impact…
…is cited frequently in the References and
citations in other journal articles

4. Find out if the journal you are using
is impacting other research…

5. HPD Library
Choose Quick Links > Alphabetical

6. Choose ISI Web of Knowledge Database:
Additional Resources

7. Journal Citation Reports:

8. 2008 Report is most current
View by subject, specific journal

9. Select one or more categories:

10. May sort by impact factor, etc…

11. If you sort Pharm titles
by Impact Factor…

12. Definitions:
• Rank- by sort option (Impact Factor)
• ISSN- journal identification number
• Total cites- how often this journal is cited
• Immediacy index- how quickly articles in a
journal are cited

13. #1 Nature Reviews Drug Discovery

14. Follow link to
Ulrich’s Periodical Directory

15. Ulrich’s link describes content

16. Select Impact Factor link:

17. Explains how
Impact Factor was derived