Cancer journal impact factors
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Cancer Journal Impact Factors: Trends and Key Metrics
Recent Trends in Cancer Journal Impact Factors
The impact factor (IF) is a widely used metric to assess the influence and quality of academic journals, including those in oncology. Recent data show that the average IF for oncology journals has declined over the past two years, dropping from 7.896 to 6.4. This decrease is partly due to changes in how Clarivate calculates the IF, such as limiting the citation window to three years and including more journals from the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) in the rankings. For example, the Cancer Research and Treatment journal saw its IF drop from 5.036 to 4.1, but its ranking by Journal Citation Indicator (JCI) actually improved, highlighting the importance of considering multiple metrics when evaluating journal performance .
High-Impact Oncology Journals and Their Rankings
Several cancer journals have achieved notable IFs. The World Journal of Oncology, for instance, recently received its first IF of 5.2, placing it among the top oncology journals and ahead of several established titles. Other journals with similar IFs include Cancer Science (5.7), American Journal of Cancer Research (5.3), International Journal of Oncology (5.2), and Cancers (5.2). These rankings are important for researchers, institutions, and libraries when making decisions about where to publish and which journals to subscribe to .
The International Journal of Cancer has experienced fluctuations in its IF, peaking at 7.36 in 2017 and currently standing at 4.98. However, its 5-year IF remains above 5.5, indicating sustained long-term influence . Newer journals, such as Translational Lung Cancer Research, have also entered the field with strong initial IFs (e.g., 4.806) .
Factors Influencing Publication in High-Impact Cancer Journals
Research shows that cancer trials with positive outcomes are much more likely to be published in high-IF journals. Other factors associated with publication in these journals include larger sample sizes, intention-to-treat analyses, North American authorship, adjuvant therapy trials, and studies on uncommon tumor types or hematologic malignancies. However, this "impact factor bias" means that negative or neutral studies may be underrepresented in high-IF journals, potentially skewing the literature 34.
Additionally, while positive trials are more likely to be published in high-IF journals, this does not always translate to higher citation counts. Instead, trials published in journals with higher IFs and those leading to FDA drug approvals tend to receive more citations, regardless of the trial outcome .
Disparities in Cancer Type Representation in High-Impact Journals
There are significant disparities in how different cancer types are represented in high-IF journals. Breast, lung, and colorectal cancers dominate publications in these journals, reflecting both their high incidence and disease burden. In contrast, gynecologic, pancreatic, hepatobiliary, and prostate cancers are underrepresented relative to their societal impact. This publication gap is likely influenced by underfunding of these cancer types and has remained unchanged over nearly two decades 5610.
Limitations of Impact Factor and Alternative Metrics
While IF is a common proxy for journal quality, it does not always correlate with other measures like the Eigenfactor (EF), nor does it necessarily reflect the relevance or societal impact of the research. The dominance of a few cancer types in high-IF journals raises questions about the best ways to assess research output and quality in oncology. There is a need to consider multiple metrics and the broader context of disease burden when evaluating the impact of cancer research 57.
Conclusion
Cancer journal impact factors remain a key metric for evaluating journal prestige and research influence, but recent changes in calculation methods and the inclusion of more journals have led to lower average IFs across the field. High-IF journals tend to publish more studies with positive outcomes and focus on a few major cancer types, leaving some cancers underrepresented. Researchers and institutions should use a combination of metrics and consider disease burden when assessing the value and impact of oncology journals.
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