Impact factor: Mutation, manipulation, and distortion

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics and scientometrics
• Research evaluation
• Scholarly communication

Background:

• The impact factor is increasingly relied upon in scientific publishing.
• Overemphasis on impact factor can hinder early-career researchers' growth.
• Misapplication of impact factor undermines its evaluative purpose.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically re-examine the application of impact factor in scientific publishing.
• To advocate for a more judicious use of impact factor for accurate value judgment.
• To address concerns regarding the detrimental effects of impact factor overemphasis.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of critical analyses on impact factor.
• Analysis of historical perspectives on scientific metrics.
• Comparative study with other scientific evaluation tools.

Main Results:

• The current application of impact factor is often misused and detrimental.
• Eugene Garfield, the impact factor's creator, acknowledges its injudicious use.
• Analogous to dynamite's misuse, impact factor's potential is undermined by poor application.

Conclusions:

• Re-evaluating impact factor's application is crucial for fair scientific assessment.
• Judicious use of impact factor is necessary to support, not hinder, scientific progress.
• A more nuanced approach to research evaluation is needed to protect authors and promote genuine scientific merit.