Journal Metrics Guide
Journal metrics are useful when they are read in context. Problems arise when different indicators are treated as though they measure exactly the same thing, or when a journal-level metric is used to judge an individual paper or researcher.
Journal Impact Factor (JIF)
The Journal Impact Factor is reported in Clarivate's Journal Citation Reports. In simple terms, it relates citations received in the JCR year to scholarly items published by the journal during the previous two years. It is not field-normalized, so citation practices in the subject area matter when interpreting the value.
Journal Citation Indicator (JCI)
The JCI is also a Clarivate journal-level metric, but it is field-normalized. A value of 1.0 represents the world average for comparable publications in the relevant field, while values above or below 1.0 indicate citation impact above or below that baseline. Clarivate introduced the JCI to complement the JIF, not to replace it.
CiteScore
CiteScore is a Scopus journal metric. It is calculated from Scopus citation and publication data and uses a different methodology and data source from JIF. A CiteScore value should therefore not be presented as a Journal Impact Factor.
SJR
The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) indicator uses a prestige-weighted approach in which citations are not treated as identical. It is another useful perspective on journal influence, but again it is methodologically different from JIF, JCI and CiteScore.
Which metric should you use?
There is no single metric that answers every journal-evaluation question. Use several indicators where appropriate, compare journals within relevant subject areas, and combine metrics with qualitative information about scope, editorial standards and publication practices.
These are different journal-level indicators. A value labelled JCI should never be presented as a Journal Impact Factor, and metrics from different providers should not be treated as interchangeable.
| Metric | Provider / ecosystem | What it summarizes | Key caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journal Impact Factor (JIF) | Clarivate Journal Citation Reports | A journal citation-rate measure based on a defined recent citation window. | It is journal-level, not an article-quality score. |
| Journal Citation Indicator (JCI) | Clarivate Journal Citation Reports | A field-normalized journal citation indicator. | JCI is separate from JIF; do not label a JCI value as “Impact Factor.” |
| CiteScore | Scopus | A Scopus journal/source citation metric using its own methodology and coverage. | Its value is not directly equivalent to JIF. |
| SJR | SCImago / Scopus-based citation network | A prestige-weighted journal indicator. | Different methodology means numerical values should not be compared as if they were the same metric. |
Which metric should you use?
Use the metric required by the institution, funder or assessment system involved, and verify the value in the official provider. For journal selection, metrics are best treated as one signal alongside scope, editorial standards, indexing, peer-review practices and relevance to the manuscript.
Why year labels matter
A metric year and the year a reporting edition is released can differ. This site therefore keeps the metric year as a separate database field and displays it with the journal record.