Researcher Compass

What is Journal Citation Reports?

For those unfamiliar, Journal Citation Reports is one of the most trusted tools for evaluating academic journals. It provides metrics like the Journal Impact Factor (JIF), which measures the average number of citations received by articles published in a journal over a specific period. These metrics are crucial for researchers, editors, and institutions seeking to understand a journal’s influence and reach.

How is the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) calculated?

The JIF is defined as citations to the journal in the JCR year to items published in the previous two years, divided by the total number of citable items (i.e., Articles and Reviews) published in the journal in the previous two years. The JCR year is the last complete year within that year’s JCR data set. For example, the JCR year for the 2025 release is 2024.

All JIF metrics, including rank and quartile, are available to all journals in the following editions for eligible subject categories:

• Science Citation Index Expanded
• Social Sciences Citation Index
• Arts & Humanities Citation Index (Arts-and-Humanities-only categories will not be ranked by JIF)
• Emerging Sources Citation Index

Only fully indexed journals are eligible for JIF metrics. Partially indexed journals are not eligible but will appear with other profile information.

What’s New in JCR 2025?

• Retracted and Withdrawn Publications: Starting with the 2025 release (2024 data), the JIF calculation will exclude citations to and from retracted and withdrawn publications and related notifications, available as of Dec 31st. These citations will be visible in the application, clearly marked with their status. This change reduces the risk of metric inflation due to flawed or fraudulent work, and reinforces accountability in scholarly publishing. (Reference: How Clarivate manages retractions)
• Transparent metrics: In JCR 2025, the citations that are not counted are visible on the journal profile page under either the Citable Items tab or Citing Sources tab in the Journal Impact Factor tile. Citable items with excluded citations or citing sources that are excluded from the JIF calculation have an icon next to the item name, with a clickable pop-up explaining the new policy. The citation count will show as 0.
• New handling for partially indexed Journals: Calculating complete journal metrics requires cover to cover indexing. This allows the journal to be assessed in its totality. Partially indexed journals will still appear in the JCR with relevant profile information but are not eligible for a Journal Impact Factor or any other journal-level citation metric and rankings.

Why JCR Matters for Researchers?

The Journal Citation Reports is a critical resource for researchers at all career stages. Here’s how it can help:

• Choosing the Right Journal: By reviewing a journal’s metrics, such as its Impact Factor, JCI, and ranking within its subject category, researchers can identify reputable journals that align with their work. For example, if your research is interdisciplinary, you can use JCR to find journals that bridge multiple fields.
• Demonstrating Research Impact: For researchers seeking grants, promotions, or tenure, publishing in high-impact journals can enhance their academic profiles. Institutions and funders often look at a journal’s ranking as a marker of quality.
• Understanding Open Access Opportunities: With more funders requiring Open Access publishing, JCR’s detailed OA metrics can help researchers identify journals that meet funder requirements while maximizing the visibility of their work.

• The Release Announcement
• JCR Reference Guide