Rethinking the Journal Impact Factor (JIF)
In today’s rapidly changing digital landscape, the pharma and medical affairs fields are facing a pivotal question: Is it enough to rely solely on the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) for insights and engagement? While the traditional answer has been a resounding “yes,” recent developments have brought this belief into question.
A recent discussion between Carlos Areia, Senior Data Scientist at Digital Science, and Julia Mutygullina, Product Solutions Manager at Digital Science, shed light on this evolving topic. Joined by Garth Sundem, Director of Comms & Marketing at the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS), the conversation explored the shifting dynamics in pharma and medical affairs.
The emergence of alternative publication avenues and a growing trend of companies taking more control over their engagement strategies, have added complexity to the once straightforward answer. Is the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) still the gold standard, or is there a need to adapt to the changing landscape? “The Impact Factor is still something that is very important that stays on the scene, and there is no probable forecast when it’s going to be completely replaced, maybe never.” Said Julia, “What we know is that in some cases, some companies cannot rely on JIF at all, because of the nature of their activities, their size, and other specifics. So I think that this is probably the best answer at the moment: JIF is still important, but we need to look into other metrics and other factors” added Julia.
As the industry continues to navigate these changes, it becomes increasingly clear that a multi-faceted approach to knowledge dissemination and engagement may be the way forward. By staying informed about alternative avenues and exploring new strategies, medical affairs professionals can ensure they are prepared to thrive in this digital era. “One of the limits of the Impact Factor is that it’s basically a number and there is some information that you can’t extrapolate just from a number… When we develop some of our tools, we take that into consideration and we help our clients define other ways of impact that some of them can still be a bit static plus some of them are more dynamic and change through time.” Carlos said.
Stay tuned for more insights and discussions on the evolving landscape of the pharmaceutical and medical affairs fields and the role of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in shaping its future.