Cartwright VA, McGhee CNJ "Ophthalmology and vision science research - Part 1: Understanding and using journal impact factors and citation indices " Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 31 (10): 1999-2007 OCT 2005

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Addresses: c.mcghee at auckland.ac.nz


Title: Ophthalmology and vision science research - Part 1: Understanding
and using journal impact factors and citation indices

Author(s): Cartwright VA, McGhee CNJ

Source: JOURNAL OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 31 (10): 1999-2007 OCT
2005

Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 46      Times Cited: 4

Abstract:
In an increasingly "publish or perish" clinical and academic environment,
all clinicians and clinician-scientists involved in research must have a
firm understanding of the measures commonly used to assess the quality of
scientific journals and, by default, those extended to grade individual
articles and authors. The publication of research is a vital part of
clinical and experimental research, and citation analyses of research
publications have increasingly been adopted as a means of assessing the
apparent quality of journals and the research published therein. In the
first of a series of articles for those embarking on ophthalmic and vision
science research, this paper discusses the key features of citation
analysis, concentrating on the 2004 Journal Citation Report figures for the
field of ophthalmology that include 42 ophthalmology, vision science,
physiological optics, and optometry journals. The Institute for Scientific
Information (ISI) calculates a number of parameters including citation
counts, Journal Impact Factor (JIF), Immediacy Index, and cited/citing half-
life. This article discusses the methods of calculation and possible uses
along with current controversies and potential abuses. The JIF and its
relevance, potential bias, and limitations are discussed in depth as it has
become the most widely used analysis of journal quality. The possible
alternatives to ISI citation analysis are presented, and we conclude that
citation analysis can be considered a reasonable measure of journal
research quality only if used correctly.


Addresses: McGhee CNJ (reprint author), Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol,
Chair Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1 New
Zealand
Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Chair Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci,
Auckland, 1 New Zealand

E-mail Addresses: c.mcghee at auckland.ac.nz

Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-
1710 USA
Subject Category: OPHTHALMOLOGY; SURGERY
IDS Number: 996PK

ISSN: 0886-3350

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