Falagas ME, et al. 2010. Comparison of the distribution of citations received by articles published in high, moderate, and low impact factor journals in clinical medicine. INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL 40 (8): 587-591

[Eugene Garfield]

Falagas, ME; Kouranos, VD; Michalopoulos, A; Rodopoulou, SP; Batsiou, MA; 
Karageorgopoulos, DE. 2010. Comparison of the distribution of citations 
received by articles published in high, moderate, and low impact factor journals 
in clinical medicine. INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL 40 (8): 587-591.

Author Full Name(s): Falagas, M. E.; Kouranos, V. D.; Michalopoulos, A.; 
Rodopoulou, S. P.; Batsiou, M. A.; Karageorgopoulos, D. E.

Language: English
Document Type: Article
Author Keywords: bibliometrics; bibliographic database; statistical distribution; 
citation analysis; publication

Abstract: Background:
Whether the journal impact factor (JIF) indicator reflects the number of 
citations to an average article of a journal in different subject categories is 
controversial. We sought to further investigate this issue in general and internal 
medicine journals.
Methods:
We selected to evaluate three journals of the above subject category, in each 
of three different JIF levels (high: 15.5-28.6, moderate: 4.4-4.9 and low: 1.6). 
Using the Scopus database, we retrieved the original research articles (after 
detailed screening) and review articles (as classified by Scopus) that were 
published in the selected journals in 2005 along with the number of citations 
they received in 2006 and 2007. We pooled the citations for articles of the 
same type in journals with the same JIF level into distinct variables.
Results:
There was no marked association between the distribution of citations per 
article published in general medical journals and their JIF. All distributions 
studied were skewed to the right (higher number of citations). Specifically, 16-
22% of the original research articles accounted for 50% of the total citations 
to this type of article for all three categories of studied journals; 34-37% of 
original research articles accounted for 75% of citations. The respective values 
for review articles were 12-18% and 29-39%.
Conclusion:
The distribution of citations received by articles published in high, moderate 
and low impact factor journals in clinical medicine seems similar. The JIF is not 
an accurate indicator of the citations the average article receives; articles 
published in low impact factor journals can still be highly cited and vice versa.

Addresses: [Falagas, M. E.; Kouranos, V. D.; Karageorgopoulos, D. E.] Natl 
Tech Univ Athens, AIBS, Dept Med, Athens 15123, Greece; [Michalopoulos, A.] 
Natl Tech Univ Athens, AIBS, Dept Crit Care, Athens 15123, Greece; [Falagas, 
M. E.] Natl Tech Univ Athens, Henry Dunant Hosp, Dept Med, Athens 15123, 
Greece; [Michalopoulos, A.] Natl Tech Univ Athens, Henry Dunant Hosp, Intens 
Care Unit, Athens 15123, Greece; [Rodopoulou, S. P.; Batsiou, M. A.] Natl Tech 
Univ Athens, Sch Appl Math & Phys Sci, Athens 15123, Greece; [Falagas, M. 
E.] Tufts Univ, Sch Med, Dept Med, Boston, MA 02111 USA

Reprint Address: Falagas, ME, Natl Tech Univ Athens, AIBS, Dept Med, 9 
Neapoleos St, Athens 15123, Greece.

E-mail Address: m.falagas at aibs.gr
ISSN: 1444-0903
DOI: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2010.02247.x
fulltext: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1445-
5994.2010.02247.x/abstract