How to explain journal Impact Factor?

[Medizin]

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How would you explain a scientific journal's Impact Factor to the lay person? I'm not even sure I understand this well myself.

How does this sound: a national measure based on the average number of citations that comparable articles in this journal have received and can expect to receive?

Does a table exist where I can find journals similarly ranked, such as, for example, in the "top-tier". I'd like to be able to say my journal is on par with X Journal.
I am fortunate to have been made a co-author to a paper in what is regarded as a top-tier journal.

Thanks.

 

[octupus]

How would you explain a scientific journal's Impact Factor to the lay person? I'm not even sure I understand this well myself.

How does this sound: a national measure based on the average number of citations that comparable articles in this journal have received and can expect to receive?

Does a table exist where I can find journals similarly ranked, such as, for example, in the "top-tier". I'd like to be able to say my journal is on par with X Journal.
I am fortunate to have been made a co-author to a paper in what is regarded as a top-tier journal.

Thanks.

google result: http://www2.lib.udel.edu/colldev/impact.htm
select by subject.

simply put- the higher the number, the better and more difficult to get published in. it's cited/read* by more people.
*for the lay person

 

[Medizin]

google result: http://www2.lib.udel.edu/colldev/impact.htm
select by subject.

simply put- the higher the number, the better and more difficult to get published in. it's cited/read* by more people.
*for the lay person

Thanks. I saw this link. I'll check it out.

 

[octupus]

Thanks. I saw this link, but the Impact Factor listings don't seem to include this year. Perhaps the IF wouldn't have changed much in the last two years.

It can change a bit, especially if it was low to begin with. You can google your specific journal for this year's IF. It's on their website.

 

[Medizin]

It can change a bit, especially if it was low to begin with. You can google your specific journal for this year's IF. It's on their website.

Thanks. The "raw" impact factor on their website means nothing to me, though the website says it is high-tier.
What's an example of a good Impact Factor?

 

[octupus]

Thanks. The "raw" impact factor on their website means nothing to me, though the website says it is high-tier.
What's an example of a good Impact Factor?

Of course, journals like Nature, Science, and NEJM are a few of the top. ground breaking, multi-disciplinary... but journals can be also very subject-specific and be a top-tier (high IF) for a specific field..
This means that if your paper is specific to the study of the liver, then a publication in Gastro or Hepatology (IF 12 and 10) is pretty much the cream of the crop for this field... but that might not mean anything to someone who is studying neuroscience... where they might aim for the top journal for their field (IF could be much higher or lower depending on the field)

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert at this, so if anyone else has input or can correct what I'm saying, feel free.

 

[ABQ9988]

It can change a bit, especially if it was low to begin with. You can google your specific journal for this year's IF. It's on their website.

The IF isn't always listed on their website, especially if its not ranked highly. I've been trying to find a good site which lists IF, maybe this Delaware site will be of use.