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Role of low-impact-factor journals in conservation implementation
Jonathan J Choi1,2, Leo C Gaskins1, Joseph P Morton1,3
1Duke University Marine Lab, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.
Summary
Conservation science often relies on specialized, low-impact factor (IF) journals. This study found that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) heavily cites these niche publications, highlighting a disconnect between academic incentives and conservation needs.
Area of Science:
- Ecology and Conservation Biology
- Environmental Policy and Law
- Bibliometrics and Scientometrics
Background:
- Academic career progression prioritizes high-impact factor (IF) journals.
- Conservation science frequently publishes species- and region-specific data in lower-IF journals.
- This creates a potential conflict between academic incentives and the practical needs of conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mismatch between academic publishing incentives and the scientific literature used in U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) implementation.
- To assess the relationship between journal impact factors and their contribution to federal conservation efforts under the ESA.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 13,292 sources cited in ESA listings during the second Obama administration (2012-2016).
- Focused on 785 journals publishing peer-reviewed papers cited in these listings.
- Compared journal impact factors against their citation frequency in ESA listings.
Main Results:
- The majority of peer-reviewed articles cited in ESA listings originated from low-IF or no-IF journals.
- These journals typically focused on specific taxa or geographic regions.
- Journal IF did not correlate with its contribution to federal conservation decisions.
Conclusions:
- The science underpinning critical conservation laws like the ESA often comes from specialized, lower-IF journals.
- There is a need to recognize, value, and fund this specific, actionable conservation science.
- While high-impact, multidisciplinary research is important, it should not overshadow the essential role of taxa- and region-specific studies.
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