Rethinking Impact Factors: New Pathways in Journal Metrics

There currently is a heated debate about the use of journal metrics, in particular the journal impact factor, in research evaluations. The impact factor is easily available and therefore offers a convenient tool for assessing scientific research. However, the use of the impact factor and other journal metrics in research evaluations is highly contested. It is often considered inappropriate to assess research based on the journal in which it has been published rather than based on properties of the research itself.

This workshop will bring together key participants in the debate about journal metrics in general and the impact factor in particular. The objective of the workshop is to develop a set of guidelines for the responsible use of journal-related information in research evaluations. These guidelines will indicate appropriate and inappropriate ways of using journal-related information for assessing scientific research. The guidelines will cover not only the impact factor and other citation-based journal metrics, but also other types of journal-related information, for instance a journal’s reputation and its rejection rate. The workshop will also explore the added value of possible new types of journal metrics, for instance metrics of the broader societal impact of the research published in a journal.