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Using Journal Citation Reports (JCR)

To access JCR

1. from the Library homepage > databases > J > Journal Citation Reports > Log in
2. select Journal Citation Reports (JCR) from the Web of Knowledge page
3. select a JCR edition and year. For example: JCR Social Sciences Edition and 2003

Note: You cannot search both editions at the same time. The default is Science Edition and the current year.

How do I find out if the journal has an impact factor?

Searching for a known journal title

1. select Search for a specific journal and select submit
2. type in Journal name and select search
3. note the information about this journal title:
   • the impact factor, total no of cites in 2003 and the no of articles in 2003
4. select the Journal title link
   • journals may be assigned more than one subject category. Use the Scope note to check what is included in a particular subject category
   • select Impact Factor Trend. View the impact factor graph for the last 5 years – check the impact factor pattern for this journal title. This is a comparison of each year for the journal title but not a comparison of this title with others in the field

To compare this title with other titles in the field:

1. select Return to Journal
2. select View journal summary (this is a list of all titles in this area) – note that you could also do this with a general search
   • change Sorted by option to sort by impact factor then select Sort again
   • note where your journal title is ranked – you may have made a good choice or you may want to revise your choice

How do I find out the relative ranking of my journal within a particular field?

Searching within a subject category

1. select View a group of journals by and then select Subject Category
2. select submit
3. scroll down the list of categories to find and select the category you are interested in, e.g.: "Educational & Educational Research"
4. submit your request
5. change Sorted by option to sort by impact factor then select Sort again. This will produce a list of titles beginning with the title with the highest impact factor for that category.