Journal impact factor and its importance for AFP.
BACKGROUND
In 2008, Australian Family Physician (AFP) was accepted on the list of journals listed in Science Citation Index Expanded and, thus, will generate an impact factor over the next 2 years. Impact factor is important to authors from research and academic backgrounds and will make AFP an increasingly attractive journal in which to publish.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the impact factor, its method of calculation, and its flaws.


CONCLUSIONS
Impact factor is the number of a journal's cited research papers divided by the total number of citable papers it has published. It is distorted by several different factors: sub-discipline, region, basic versus applied research, and whether the journal editor deliberately tries to strategically increase their impact factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Impact factor is an oversimplified single measure of 'impact', which may underestimate the contribution of the AFP to society. However, no accepted alternative metric currently exists.
van Driel
Mieke L
ML
Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Queensland. mieke_vandriel@bond.edu.au
Magin
Parker J
PJ
Del Mar
Chris B
CB
Furler
John
J
De Maeseneer
Jan
J
D001315:Australia; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D055811:Journal Impact Factor; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results