Journal Citation Reports (JCR) offers a systematic, objective means to critically evaluate the world’s leading journals, with quantifiable, statistical information based on citation data. By compiling articles’ cited references, JCR helps to measure research influence and impact at the journal and category levels, and shows the relationship between citing and cited journals.
JCR calculates a journal’s impact factor (i.e., the “scholarly worth” of a journal) by adding the number of citations that the journal has garnered and then dividing this figure by the number of items.
Read how Thomson Reuters’ impact factors are calculated or watch an Impact Factor Tutorial.
For further information, see UNB Libraries’ Guide to Making Citations Count.