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A critical analysis of the journal impact factors ofAngewandte Chemie and the journal of the American Chemical Society inaccuracies in published impact factors based on overall citations only

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Abstract

It is shown that the Journal Impact Factor as published by ISI — an indicator increasingly used as an measure for the quality of scientific journals — is misleading when two leading journals in chemistry,Angew. Chem., andJ. Am. Chem. Soc., are compared. A detailed analysis of the various kinds publications in both journals over the period 1982–1994 shows that the overall impact factors based on publications and citations in two consecutive years forJACS communications (5.27 for 1993) are significantly higher than those ofAngew. Chem. (3.26 for 1993). Even when all types of articles, i.e. including reviews, are included in the impact factors,JACS has a higher score thanAngew. Chem. (5.07 vs. 4.03 in 1993). Critical and accurate analyses of citation figures is required when such data are used in science policy decisions, such as library subscriptions. It is proposed that when IF values for several journals are compared, only similar publication types are considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, (Netherlands)

    H. F. Moed & Th. N. Van Leeuwen

  2. Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, P.O.Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, (Netherlands)

    J. Reedijk

Authors
  1. H. F. Moed
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  2. Th. N. Van Leeuwen
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  3. J. Reedijk
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Moed, H.F., Van Leeuwen, T.N. & Reedijk, J. A critical analysis of the journal impact factors ofAngewandte Chemie and the journal of the American Chemical Society inaccuracies in published impact factors based on overall citations only. Scientometrics 37, 105–116 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02093487

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02093487

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