Celebrating the influence of research – the 2019 Impact Factor

In the modern academic publishing landscape, there exist a wide range of markers by which we can assess the quality of scholarly journals and the research they publish – each providing a particular measure of a journal’s success and influence that is often as valuable as the next.

One of these markers, the impact factor, continues to be widely recognised as an important indictor by which one can measure a journal’s influence and standing within its field. Developed in the mid-1960s, the indicator establishes the average number of citations received by an article in a journal over a 2-year-period and is calculated ‘by dividing the number of citations in the JCR (Journal Citation Reports) year by the total number of articles published in the two previous years’. Over time the impact factor has allowed academics, researchers, publishers and librarians to gauge the significance and effectiveness of the research published by a journal in its particular field. 

Here at ACAMH our main focus invariably lies in forwarding the study of child and adolescent mental health. We do this through a number of avenues, most notably in our efforts to consistently publish the highest quality and clinically relevant research in the field within our two journals – the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH). While there remain a variety of indicators by which to measure the scholarly influence and academic standing of a journal within its field, the impact factor persists as a putative measure of journal quality, and it is for this reason we are proud to announce an increase in the impact factor for both ACAMH journals for the year 2019.  

The 2019 impact factor for JCPP is 7.035, compared to 6.129 in 2018. This ranks the journal in its various research fields as follows: 11/155 (Psychiatry), 8/141 (Psychiatry (Social Science)), 5/77 (Psychology), 1/77 (Psychology, Developmental).

The 2019 impact factor for CAMH is 1.770, compared to 1.439 in 2018. This ranks the journal in its various research fields as follows: 64/128 (Pediatrics), 108/155 (Psychiatry), 80/141 (Psychiatry (Social Science)), 75/131 (Psychology, Clinical). Dr. Dennis Ougrin, Editor-in-Chief of CAMH said; “Imapct factor aside, from this year CAMH could be found on PubMed, our downloads have increased 40% year on year and the number of new submissions has increased by 48% (in 2019 compared to 2018). And though she be but little, she is fierce. Huge credit to our team and huge thanks to our readers.”

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has worked effortlessly to ensure the high standards of scientific rigour and scholarly impact in the ACAMH journals are fervently maintained, including the Editors-in-Chief of both journals, the entire team of editors, the authors, the peer reviewers, and our publishing partners Wiley – with all their ongoing work and support we are confident that the journals will continue to go from strength to strength in all respects. 

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