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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
05:02
Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
The impact factor ranking--a challenge for scientists and publishers
Simon Rieder1, Charlotte S Bruse, Christoph W Michalski
1Department of Surgery, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, Munich, Germany.
Langenbeck'S Archives of Surgery
|March 23, 2010
Summary
The Impact Factor (IF) is a journal metric, but it is not ideal for evaluating individual research articles or scientists. Alternative metrics like citation rankings and the h-index offer better assessments of scientific achievement.
Area of Science:
- Bibliometrics
- Scientific Publishing
- Research Evaluation
Background:
- The Impact Factor (IF) is a widely accepted bibliometric tool for assessing scientific journal relevance.
- It calculates the ratio of citations in one year to publications in the preceding two years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the suitability of the Impact Factor (IF) for assessing individual research articles and scientists.
- To explore alternative metrics for research evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the limitations of the Impact Factor (IF).
- Comparison with alternative bibliometric indicators such as citation rankings and the h-index.
Main Results:
- The IF is not suitable for evaluating single articles due to its inability to reflect individual citation rates and exclusion of self-citations.
- The h-index is a more appropriate tool for assessing researchers' scientific output, considering both citation rates and publication numbers.
Conclusions:
- The Impact Factor (IF) remains valuable for journal benchmarking within specific subspecialties.
- Assessing individual scientific quality requires more nuanced approaches beyond the IF, with citation rankings and the h-index showing promise.
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