Table 2.

Top 10 limitations to searchable databases and ‘quality’ metrics such as the Impact Factor.

Top 10 limitations to searchable databases and ‘quality’ metrics such as the Impact Factor
Accessibility of database, availability of journals and journal listing bias. Inference, not always valid, that high citation rates reflect the ‘high quality’ of an article. Inference, not always valid, that a high IF reflects generalized high citation rates or generalized ‘high quality’ for the journal. Citation bias (self citations from journals and authors). Citations have equal ranking. Specialty bias for Impact Factor. Date of publication bias. High quality articles, and high quality journals, directed at end-users or medical and scientific practitioners, rather than researchers per se, may have low Impact Factors. The impact factor is calculated over a relatively short period of time (two years), whereas the life of published papers is much longer than this (10 or more years). The Impact Factor is very easy to manipulate and artificially inflate.

Top 10 limitations to searchable databases and ‘quality’ metrics such as the Impact Factor

Accessibility of database, availability of journals and journal listing bias.
Inference, not always valid, that high citation rates reflect the ‘high quality’ of an article.
Inference, not always valid, that a high IF reflects generalized high citation rates or generalized ‘high quality’ for the journal.
Citation bias (self citations from journals and authors).
Citations have equal ranking.
Specialty bias for Impact Factor.
Date of publication bias.
High quality articles, and high quality journals, directed at end-users or medical and scientific practitioners, rather than researchers per se, may have low Impact Factors.
The impact factor is calculated over a relatively short period of time (two years), whereas the life of published papers is much longer than this (10 or more years).
The Impact Factor is very easy to manipulate and artificially inflate.