Quick Answer
A "good" impact factor varies significantly by field. In general: 10+ is excellent,5-10 is very good, 3-5 is good, and 1-3 is average. However, these benchmarks differ dramatically between disciplines.
The question "what is a good impact factor?" doesn't have a simple answer because impact factors vary dramatically across academic fields. What's considered excellent in mathematics might be average in molecular biology. Let's explore how to evaluate journal quality properly.
Top Journals by Impact Factor (2025)
Multidisciplinary Science
Nature48.5
Science45.8
Cell42.5
PNAS9.1
Specialized Journals
Nature Communications15.7
Science Advances12.5
Brain11.7
Cell Reports6.9
Good Impact Factors by Academic Field
Life Sciences & Medicine
Excellent (15+)
Nature, Science, Cell, NEJM
Very Good (8-15)
Nature Communications, Brain
Good (4-8)
Cell Reports, many specialty journals
Physical Sciences & Engineering
Excellent (8+)
Nature, Science, top ACS journals
Very Good (4-8)
Many ACS and RSC journals
Good (2-4)
Solid specialty journals
Mathematics & Computer Science
Excellent (3+)
Top-tier journals
Very Good (1.5-3)
Well-regarded journals
Good (0.8-1.5)
Respectable journals
Social Sciences & Humanities
Excellent (4+)
Leading journals
Very Good (2-4)
High-quality journals
Good (1-2)
Solid journals
Understanding JCR Quartiles
JCR Quartiles provide a more reliable way to assess journal quality within specific fields:
Q1
Top 25%
Excellent journals
Q2
25-50%
Very good journals
Q3
50-75%
Good journals
Q4
Bottom 25%
Lower-tier journals
Why Quartiles Matter More Than Raw Impact Factors
- • Field-normalized: Compares journals within the same discipline
- • Relative ranking: Shows position among peer journals
- • More stable: Less affected by outlier highly-cited papers
- • Fairer comparison: Accounts for different citation practices across fields
Beyond Impact Factor: Other Quality Indicators
Journal Reputation Factors
- • Editorial board quality: Renowned experts in the field
- • Peer review rigor: Thorough and fair review process
- • Publication speed: Time from submission to publication
- • Indexing: Coverage in major databases (PubMed, Scopus)
- • Open access policies: Accessibility and sharing options
Alternative Metrics
- • CiteScore: Scopus-based citation metric
- • h-index: Journal's h-index over time
- • Eigenfactor: Weighted citation influence
- • SNIP: Source Normalized Impact per Paper
- • Altmetrics: Social media and news mentions
Practical Advice for Researchers
Choosing Where to Publish
1.Know your field's standards: Research typical impact factors in your discipline
2.Aim for Q1-Q2 journals: Focus on top 50% in your field
3.Consider journal scope: Match your research to the journal's focus
4.Check recent publications: See if similar work has been published
5.Balance prestige and fit: Sometimes a specialized journal is better than a general high-IF journal
⚠️ Common Misconceptions
- • Higher is always better: A good fit matters more than raw impact factor
- • Impact factor = article quality: Individual articles vary widely within journals
- • Cross-field comparisons: Never compare impact factors across different disciplines
- • Only metric that matters: Consider multiple factors when evaluating journals
Find Impact Factors for Your Field
Search our comprehensive database to find impact factors, JCR quartiles, and rankings for journals in your specific field.
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