Simple arithmetic versus intuitive understanding: The case of the impact factor
Digital Libraries
2015-06-02 v2 Physics and Society
Abstract
We show that as a consequence of basic properties of elementary arithmetic journal impact factors show a counterintuitive behaviour with respect to adding non-cited articles. Synchronous as well as diachronous journal impact factors are affected. Our findings provide a rationale for not taking uncitable publications into account in impact factor calculations, at least if these items are truly uncitable.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1102.2567,
title = {Simple arithmetic versus intuitive understanding: The case of the impact factor},
author = {Ronald Rousseau and Loet Leydesdorff},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1102.2567},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
ISSI Newsletter 7(1) (2011) 10-14