Falagas ME, Kouranos VD, Arencibia-Jorge R, Karageorgopoulos DE, Drosos E. "Comparison of SCImago journal rank indicator with journal impact factor more options " FASEB JOURNAL 22(8): 2623-2628 , August 2008

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Addresses: m.falagas at aibs.gr  

TITLE : Comparison of SCImago journal rank indicator with journal impact 
factor more options 
 
Author(s): Falagas ME (Falagas, Matthew E.)1,2,3, Kouranos VD (Kouranos, 
Vasilios D.)1, Arencibia-Jorge R (Arencibia-Jorge, Ricardo)4, 
Karageorgopoulos DE (Karageorgopoulos, Drosos E.)1  

Source: FASEB JOURNAL    Volume: 22    Issue: 8    Pages: 2623-2628    
Published: AUG 2008    

Times Cited: 7     References: 41     Citation Map      

 Abstract: The application of currently available sophisticated algorithms 
of citation analysis allows for the incorporation of the "quality" of 
citations in the evaluation of scientific journals. We sought to compare 
the newly introduced SCImago journal rank (SJR) indicator with the journal 
impact factor ( IF). We retrieved relevant information from the official 
Web sites hosting the above indices and their source databases. The SJR 
indicator is an open-access resource, while the journal IF requires paid 
subscription. The SJR indicator ( based on Scopus data) lists considerably 
more journal titles published in a wider variety of countries and 
languages, than the journal IF ( based on Web of Science data). Both 
indices divide citations to a journal by articles of the journal, during a 
specific time period. However, contrary to the journal IF, the SJR 
indicator attributes different weight to citations depending on 
the "prestige" of the citing journal without the influence of journal self-
citations; prestige is estimated with the application of the PageRank 
algorithm in the network of journals. In addition, the SJR indicator 
includes the total number of documents of a journal in the denominator of 
the relevant calculation, whereas the journal IF includes only "citable" 
articles ( mainly original articles and reviews). A 3-yr period is analyzed 
in both indices but with the use of different approaches. Regarding the top 
100 journals in the 2006 journal IF ranking order, the median absolute 
change in their ranking position with the use of the SJR indicator is 32 
(1st quartile: 12; 3rd quartile: 75). Although further validation is 
warranted, the novel SJR indicator poses as a serious alternative to the 
well-established journal IF, mainly due to its openaccess nature, larger 
source database, and assessment of the quality of citations. 

Document Type: Article  
Language: English  

Reprint Address: Falagas, ME (reprint author), Alfa Inst Biomed Sci, 9 
Neapoleos St, Maroussi 15123, Greece 
 
Addresses: 
1. AIBS, Athens, Greece 
2. Tufts Univ, Sch Med, Dept Med, Boston, MA 02111 USA 
3. Henry Dunant Hosp, Dept Med, Athens, Greece 
4. Natl Ctr Sci Res, Network Scientometr Studies Higher Educ, Havana 6880, 
Cuba  

E-mail Addresses: m.falagas at aibs.gr  

Publisher: FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL, 9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 
20814-3998 USA  
IDS Number: 332NI  
ISSN: 0892-6638  
DOI: 10.1096/fj.08-107938  


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