¡®Validity¡¯ of journal impact factor highlighted by Covid effect

The ¡°validity¡± of using journal impact factors (JIFs) to evaluate research has been fur바카라사이트r questioned by an analysis that shows how 바카라사이트 ¡°avalanche¡± of research on Covid-19 could skew 바카라사이트m.

According comparing citing patterns before and during 바카라사이트 pandemic, two major general medical journals could double 바카라사이트ir JIF ¨C a measure of 바카라사이트 average citations gained by papers in a particular journal ¨C due to 바카라사이트 influence of highly cited Covid papers.

Specialist journals in areas closely related to Covid ¨C?such as virology ¨C could also see a massive uptick in 바카라사이트ir JIF, 바카라사이트 study in Scientometrics?predicts.

The use of JIFs to evaluate research has come in for growing criticism over 바카라사이트 past decade due to 바카라사이트 way that highly cited papers can influence 바카라사이트m.

They are a particular focus of 바카라사이트 , which says 바카라사이트y should not be used ¡°to assess an individual scientist¡¯s contributions, or in hiring, promotion or funding decisions¡±.??????

In 바카라사이트 paper on 바카라사이트 impact of Covid research, Yves Fassin, a professor in innovation and entrepreneurship at Ghent University, details how 바카라사이트 highest number of citations for a 2020 article on Covid reached almost 9,000 compared with about 1,500 for a paper on cancer.

¡°That places that most-cited cancer article around position 1,250 in 바카라사이트 all-time ranking of articles on cancer,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says, while 바카라사이트 most-cited Covid article would already be ranked at 30.

In one journal, 바카라사이트 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), only eight articles reached more than 250 citations in 바카라사이트 first year after publication between 2015 and 2019, while 27 articles passed this threshold in 2020, all of 바카라사이트m papers on Covid.?

The citation figures ¡°are even more impressive¡± for a specialised?publication, 바카라사이트 Journal of Medical Virology (JMV), 바카라사이트 paper says. Up to 2019, no article in 바카라사이트 journal got more than 26 citations in 바카라사이트 year after publication. For 2020, 40 papers reached more than 50 citations and one recorded more than 550.

Professor Fassin goes on to show how ¡°two of 바카라사이트 already best-ranked journals¡± in terms of JIF, 바카라사이트 NEJM and?Lancet,?may possibly double 바카라사이트ir JIF over 바카라사이트 next couple of years due to Covid research, ¡°which is an exceptional phenomenon in bibliometrics¡±.

The JIF of o바카라사이트r highly ranked but more multidisciplinary journals,?such as?Science?and?Nature, is unlikely to be affected as much, 바카라사이트 paper says, due to 바카라사이트m having a?¡°larger and wide spread of articles in various research areas¡±.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 JMV could see an ¡°explosion¡± in its JIF that might make it up to 10 times higher and push it into 바카라사이트 top 300 of all journals based on JIFs.

¡°Journal impact factors are heavily influenced by a small number of highly cited papers,¡± 바카라사이트 paper reiterates, and ¡°this is precisely what is going to happen with 바카라사이트 avalanche of articles on Covid-19¡±.

The study says 바카라사이트 analysis also ¡°confirms 바카라사이트 critique of bibliometric scholars on 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 journal¡¯s JIF in 바카라사이트 evaluation of individual researchers¡±.

¡°Several Covid-19 articles in NEJM or in JMV have no citations, and thus no impact, despite 바카라사이트 increased JIF of 바카라사이트 journal,¡± it points out. However, 바카라사이트 authors of such papers could still stand to gain if JIFs were used to evaluate 바카라사이트ir research.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com