Impact factor distribution revisited with graphical representation

In this work, we propose the graphical representation for the empirical data of the impact factor rank-ordered distribution. The characteristics of the distribution can be directly visualized. Within the subject category of journal citation reports, the impact factor rank-ordered distribution system...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inScientometrics Vol. 107; no. 3; pp. 1321 - 1329
Main Authors Hsu, Jiann-wien, Huang, Ding-wei
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2016
Subjects
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN0138-9130
1588-2861
DOI10.1007/s11192-016-1921-6

Cover

Abstract In this work, we propose the graphical representation for the empirical data of the impact factor rank-ordered distribution. The characteristics of the distribution can be directly visualized. Within the subject category of journal citation reports, the impact factor rank-ordered distribution systematically presents a clear evidence of the two-exponent behavior and the S-shaped decrease. The sharp convex decrease is related to the first exponent, which dictates the distribution of lower ranks. The mild concave decrease is related to the second exponent, which dictates the distribution of higher ranks. The relevance of Matthew effect is discussed.
AbstractList In this work, we propose the graphical representation for the empirical data of the impact factor rank-ordered distribution. The characteristics of the distribution can be directly visualized. Within the subject category of journal citation reports, the impact factor rank-ordered distribution systematically presents a clear evidence of the two-exponent behavior and the S-shaped decrease. The sharp convex decrease is related to the first exponent, which dictates the distribution of lower ranks. The mild concave decrease is related to the second exponent, which dictates the distribution of higher ranks. The relevance of Matthew effect is discussed.
Author Hsu, Jiann-wien
Huang, Ding-wei
Author_xml – sequence: 1
  givenname: Jiann-wien
  surname: Hsu
  fullname: Hsu, Jiann-wien
  organization: General Education Center, National Tainan Junior College of Nursing
– sequence: 2
  givenname: Ding-wei
  surname: Huang
  fullname: Huang, Ding-wei
  email: dwhuang@cycu.edu.tw
  organization: Department of Physics, Chung Yuan Christian University
BookMark eNp9kE1PAyEQhompiW31B3jbP4AyUBc4auNHkyZe9ExYdmhp2t0NUI3_Xpr15KGXeZOZeebjnZFJ13dIyC2wO2BM3icA0JwyqGlRoPUFmcKDUpSrGiZkykAoqkGwKzJLaccKI5iakqfVYbAuV76EPlZtSDmG5phD31URv0IKGdvqO-RttYl22AZn96UwREzYZXvquyaX3u4T3vzpnHy-PH8s3-j6_XW1fFxTx5XKFFuvwFvlFxr0AjRqjtI5Lxi3ApUV3nIpJbaiaQSvW9-4BoRmsuXSLkp6TmCc62KfUkRvhhgONv4YYOZkghlNMMUEczLB1IWR_xgXxqtztGF_luQjmcqWboPR7Ppj7MqDZ6BfAr505g
CitedBy_id crossref_primary_10_1016_j_physa_2017_09_026
crossref_primary_10_1016_j_cjph_2024_09_037
Cites_doi 10.1016/j.joi.2014.01.009
10.1002/asi.21439
10.1007/s11192-010-0209-5
10.1371/journal.pone.0004791
10.1007/s11192-011-0338-5
10.1007/s11192-007-1682-3
10.1016/j.joi.2007.01.001
10.1016/j.joi.2009.01.004
10.1016/j.ipm.2010.03.009
10.1016/j.joi.2011.09.005
ContentType Journal Article
Copyright Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary 2016
Copyright_xml – notice: Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary 2016
DBID AAYXX
CITATION
DOI 10.1007/s11192-016-1921-6
DatabaseName CrossRef
DatabaseTitle CrossRef
DatabaseTitleList
DeliveryMethod fulltext_linktorsrc
Discipline Sciences (General)
Computer Science
EISSN 1588-2861
EndPage 1329
ExternalDocumentID 10_1007_s11192_016_1921_6
GroupedDBID --K
-4Z
-59
-5G
-BR
-EM
-Y2
-~C
-~X
.86
.DC
.VR
06D
0R~
0VY
123
1B1
1N0
1SB
2.D
203
28-
2J2
2JN
2JY
2KG
2KM
2LR
2P1
2VQ
2~H
30V
4.4
406
408
409
40D
40E
53G
5QI
5VS
67Z
6NX
77K
8TC
8UJ
95-
95.
95~
96X
AAAVM
AABHQ
AACDK
AAHNG
AAIAL
AAJBT
AANZL
AAOBN
AARHV
AARTL
AASML
AATNV
AATVU
AAUYE
AAWCG
AAWTL
AAYIU
AAYQN
AAYTO
AAYZH
ABAKF
ABBBX
ABBXA
ABDZT
ABECU
ABFTV
ABHLI
ABHQN
ABJNI
ABJOX
ABKCH
ABKTR
ABMNI
ABMQK
ABNWP
ABQBU
ABQSL
ABSXP
ABTEG
ABTHY
ABTKH
ABTMW
ABULA
ABWNU
ABXPI
ACAOD
ACBXY
ACDTI
ACGFS
ACHQT
ACHSB
ACHXU
ACIWK
ACKNC
ACMDZ
ACMLO
ACOKC
ACOMO
ACPIV
ACPRK
ACSNA
ACYUM
ACZOJ
ADHHG
ADHIR
ADIMF
ADINQ
ADKNI
ADKPE
ADMLS
ADRFC
ADTPH
ADURQ
ADYFF
ADZKW
AEBTG
AEFIE
AEFQL
AEGAL
AEGNC
AEJHL
AEJRE
AEKMD
AEMSY
AENEX
AEOHA
AEPYU
AESKC
AETLH
AEVLU
AEXYK
AFBBN
AFEXP
AFGCZ
AFLOW
AFQWF
AFRAH
AFWTZ
AFZKB
AGAYW
AGDGC
AGGDS
AGJBK
AGMZJ
AGQEE
AGQMX
AGRTI
AGWIL
AGWZB
AGYKE
AHAVH
AHBYD
AHSBF
AHYZX
AIAKS
AIGIU
AIIXL
AILAN
AITGF
AJBLW
AJRNO
AJZVZ
ALMA_UNASSIGNED_HOLDINGS
ALWAN
AMKLP
AMXSW
AMYLF
AMYQR
AOCGG
ARMRJ
ASPBG
AVWKF
AXYYD
AYJHY
AZFZN
B-.
BA0
BBWZM
BDATZ
BGNMA
BSONS
CAG
COF
CS3
CSCUP
DDRTE
DL5
DNIVK
DPUIP
DU5
EBLON
EBS
EIOEI
EJD
ESBYG
F5P
FEDTE
FERAY
FFXSO
FIGPU
FINBP
FNLPD
FRRFC
FSGXE
FWDCC
GGCAI
GGRSB
GJIRD
GNWQR
GQ6
GQ7
GQ8
GXS
H13
HF~
HG5
HG6
HMJXF
HQYDN
HRMNR
HVGLF
HZ~
IHE
IJ-
IKXTQ
ITM
IWAJR
IXC
IZIGR
IZQ
I~X
I~Y
I~Z
J-C
J0Z
JBSCW
JCJTX
JZLTJ
KDC
KOV
KOW
LLZTM
M4Y
MA-
MET
MKB
N2Q
N9A
NB0
NDZJH
NPVJJ
NQ-
NQJWS
NU0
O-J
O9-
O93
O9G
O9I
O9J
OAM
OVD
P19
P9O
PF0
PT4
PT5
QOK
QOS
R-Y
R4E
R89
R9I
RHV
RIG
RKA
RNI
ROL
RPX
RPZ
RSV
RZC
RZE
RZK
S16
S1Z
S26
S27
S28
S3B
SAP
SCJ
SCLPG
SCO
SDH
SDM
SHX
SISQX
SJYHP
SNE
SNPRN
SNX
SOHCF
SOJ
SPISZ
SRMVM
SSLCW
STPWE
SZN
T13
T16
TEORI
TN5
TSG
TSK
TSV
TUC
U2A
UG4
UOJIU
UTJUX
UZXMN
VC2
VFIZW
W23
W48
WH7
WHG
WK6
WK8
YLTOR
Z45
Z5O
Z7R
Z7U
Z7V
Z7X
Z7Z
Z81
Z83
Z88
Z8M
Z8R
Z8T
Z8W
Z92
ZMTXR
~A9
~EX
77I
AAPKM
AAYXX
ABBRH
ABDBE
ABFSG
ABRTQ
ACSTC
ADHKG
AEZWR
AFDZB
AFHIU
AFOHR
AGQPQ
AHPBZ
AHWEU
AIXLP
ATHPR
AYFIA
CITATION
ID FETCH-LOGICAL-c288t-edf81fa8f4919419e92e7ccf302a3e8a3fa2777ed3bb326dfbcb13907d27a4ed3
IEDL.DBID AGYKE
ISSN 0138-9130
IngestDate Wed Oct 01 04:28:26 EDT 2025
Thu Apr 24 23:07:20 EDT 2025
Fri Feb 21 02:35:22 EST 2025
IsPeerReviewed true
IsScholarly true
Issue 3
Keywords Matthew effect
Rank-order distribution
Scaling
Impact factor
Curvature
Language English
LinkModel DirectLink
MergedId FETCHMERGED-LOGICAL-c288t-edf81fa8f4919419e92e7ccf302a3e8a3fa2777ed3bb326dfbcb13907d27a4ed3
PageCount 9
ParticipantIDs crossref_primary_10_1007_s11192_016_1921_6
crossref_citationtrail_10_1007_s11192_016_1921_6
springer_journals_10_1007_s11192_016_1921_6
ProviderPackageCode CITATION
AAYXX
PublicationCentury 2000
PublicationDate 20160600
2016-6-00
PublicationDateYYYYMMDD 2016-06-01
PublicationDate_xml – month: 6
  year: 2016
  text: 20160600
PublicationDecade 2010
PublicationPlace Dordrecht
PublicationPlace_xml – name: Dordrecht
PublicationSubtitle An International Journal for all Quantitative Aspects of the Science of Science, Communication in Science and Science Policy
PublicationTitle Scientometrics
PublicationTitleAbbrev Scientometrics
PublicationYear 2016
Publisher Springer Netherlands
Publisher_xml – name: Springer Netherlands
References Brzezinski (CR1) 2014; 8
Egghe (CR3) 2009; 3
CR10
Egghe, Waltman (CR5) 2011; 47
Lancho-Barrantes, Guerrero-Bote, Moya-Anegón (CR7) 2010; 85
Sarabia, Prieto, Trueba (CR11) 2012; 6
Campanario (CR2) 2010; 61
Mansilla, Köppen, Cocho, Miramontes (CR8) 2007; 1
Egghe (CR4) 2011; 87
Guerrero-Bote, Zapico-Alonso, Espinosa-Calvo, Gómez-Crisóstomo, Moya-Anegón (CR6) 2007; 71
Martínez-Mekler, Martínez, del Río, Mansilla, Miramontes, Cocho (CR9) 2009; 4
L Egghe (1921_CR4) 2011; 87
M Brzezinski (1921_CR1) 2014; 8
L Egghe (1921_CR5) 2011; 47
JM Campanario (1921_CR2) 2010; 61
BS Lancho-Barrantes (1921_CR7) 2010; 85
G Martínez-Mekler (1921_CR9) 2009; 4
L Egghe (1921_CR3) 2009; 3
VP Guerrero-Bote (1921_CR6) 2007; 71
R Mansilla (1921_CR8) 2007; 1
JM Sarabia (1921_CR11) 2012; 6
1921_CR10
References_xml – volume: 8
  start-page: 362
  year: 2014
  end-page: 368
  ident: CR1
  article-title: Empirical modeling of the impact factor distribution
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2014.01.009
– volume: 61
  start-page: 419
  year: 2010
  end-page: 423
  ident: CR2
  article-title: Distribution of ranks of articles and citations in journals
  publication-title: Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
  doi: 10.1002/asi.21439
– volume: 85
  start-page: 443
  year: 2010
  end-page: 461
  ident: CR7
  article-title: The iceberg hypothesis revisit
  publication-title: Scientometrics
  doi: 10.1007/s11192-010-0209-5
– volume: 4
  start-page: e4791-1-7
  year: 2009
  ident: CR9
  article-title: Universality of rank-ordering distributions in the arts and sciences
  publication-title: PLoS One
  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004791
– volume: 87
  start-page: 683
  year: 2011
  end-page: 685
  ident: CR4
  article-title: The impact factor rank-order distribution revisited
  publication-title: Scientometrics
  doi: 10.1007/s11192-011-0338-5
– volume: 71
  start-page: 423
  year: 2007
  end-page: 441
  ident: CR6
  article-title: The iceberg hypothesis: import-export of knowledge between scientific subject categories
  publication-title: Scientometrics
  doi: 10.1007/s11192-007-1682-3
– volume: 1
  start-page: 155
  year: 2007
  end-page: 160
  ident: CR8
  article-title: On the behavior of journal impact factor rank-order distribution
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2007.01.001
– volume: 3
  start-page: 290
  year: 2009
  end-page: 295
  ident: CR3
  article-title: Mathematical derivation of the impact factor distribution
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2009.01.004
– volume: 47
  start-page: 238
  year: 2011
  end-page: 245
  ident: CR5
  article-title: Relations between the shape of a size-frequency distribution and the shape of a rank-frequency distribution
  publication-title: Information Processing and Management
  doi: 10.1016/j.ipm.2010.03.009
– ident: CR10
– volume: 6
  start-page: 66
  year: 2012
  end-page: 79
  ident: CR11
  article-title: Modeling the probabilistic distribution of the impact factor
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2011.09.005
– volume: 87
  start-page: 683
  year: 2011
  ident: 1921_CR4
  publication-title: Scientometrics
  doi: 10.1007/s11192-011-0338-5
– volume: 47
  start-page: 238
  year: 2011
  ident: 1921_CR5
  publication-title: Information Processing and Management
  doi: 10.1016/j.ipm.2010.03.009
– volume: 61
  start-page: 419
  year: 2010
  ident: 1921_CR2
  publication-title: Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
  doi: 10.1002/asi.21439
– ident: 1921_CR10
– volume: 8
  start-page: 362
  year: 2014
  ident: 1921_CR1
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2014.01.009
– volume: 85
  start-page: 443
  year: 2010
  ident: 1921_CR7
  publication-title: Scientometrics
  doi: 10.1007/s11192-010-0209-5
– volume: 1
  start-page: 155
  year: 2007
  ident: 1921_CR8
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2007.01.001
– volume: 4
  start-page: e4791-1-7
  year: 2009
  ident: 1921_CR9
  publication-title: PLoS One
  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004791
– volume: 6
  start-page: 66
  year: 2012
  ident: 1921_CR11
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2011.09.005
– volume: 71
  start-page: 423
  year: 2007
  ident: 1921_CR6
  publication-title: Scientometrics
  doi: 10.1007/s11192-007-1682-3
– volume: 3
  start-page: 290
  year: 2009
  ident: 1921_CR3
  publication-title: Journal of Informetrics
  doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2009.01.004
SSID ssj0007308
Score 2.1495054
Snippet In this work, we propose the graphical representation for the empirical data of the impact factor rank-ordered distribution. The characteristics of the...
SourceID crossref
springer
SourceType Enrichment Source
Index Database
Publisher
StartPage 1321
SubjectTerms Computer Science
Information Storage and Retrieval
Library Science
Title Impact factor distribution revisited with graphical representation
URI https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-016-1921-6
Volume 107
hasFullText 1
inHoldings 1
isFullTextHit
isPrint
journalDatabaseRights – providerCode: PRVEBS
  databaseName: Inspec with Full Text
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 1588-2861
  dateEnd: 20241105
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0007308
  issn: 0138-9130
  databaseCode: ADMLS
  dateStart: 19780901
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/inspec-full-text
  providerName: EBSCOhost
– providerCode: PRVLSH
  databaseName: SpringerLink Journals
  customDbUrl:
  mediaType: online
  eissn: 1588-2861
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0007308
  issn: 0138-9130
  databaseCode: AFBBN
  dateStart: 19970101
  isFulltext: true
  providerName: Library Specific Holdings
– providerCode: PRVAVX
  databaseName: SpringerLINK - Czech Republic Consortium
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 1588-2861
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0007308
  issn: 0138-9130
  databaseCode: AGYKE
  dateStart: 19970101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: http://link.springer.com
  providerName: Springer Nature
– providerCode: PRVAVX
  databaseName: SpringerLink Journals (ICM)
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 1588-2861
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: true
  ssIdentifier: ssj0007308
  issn: 0138-9130
  databaseCode: U2A
  dateStart: 19970101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: http://www.springerlink.com/journals/
  providerName: Springer Nature
link http://utb.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwlV07T8MwED7RdmGhtIAoj8oDAw-lip3UScYWtRQQnVqpTJHt2AsooD4Wfj2247QqAqRuUXSJrHv57Lv7DuCKqixg3VB4mEf6gCKo8OKYcQ-zxFc0jiLpm-bklzEdTcOnWXfm-rgXZbV7mZK0nnrT7IaxqZTE1DMYXh6tQM3CbVWh1nt4fR6sHbBWWuuAsbXlYJ3M_O0n29vRdi7UbjHDOkzKxRWVJW-d1ZJ3xNcP3MYdV38IBy7kRL1CRxqwJ_Mm1MtxDshZdxMa7mmBrh0Y9c0R9B9tGyUq5vKgzODsuhFZaG4703XIisxtLrLY10bmyCJlll1N-TFMh4PJ_chzcxc8QeJ46clMxVixWIUJTkKcyITISAgV-IQFMmaBYiTSUswCznX0lykuuA4k_SgjEQv16xOo5h-5PAUkFQ64DLtBSA00meRcGPwfkumDDKOh3wK_ZH8qHCi5mY3xnm7glA3jUlOIZhiX0hbcrj_5LBA5_iO-K8WROuNc_E19thP1OewTI097JXMB1eV8JS91hLLkba2Rw35_3Haa2YbKlPS-AWdL3m4
linkProvider Springer Nature
linkToHtml http://utb.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwlV07T8MwED5BGWABWkCUpwcGHrIUO67jjICoWmg7tVK3yHbsCQXUlv-P7TqtKgESWxRdMtz5zmfffd8B3HBbprLDNCYqcwcUzTUWQipMZJ5YLrLMJB6cPBzx3oS9TjvTiOOe193udUkyROo12I0Q3ylJOPYcXphvw47nr_KE-RP6uAq_bsmG8EuCJ6erUuZPv9jcjDYroWGD6R7CfswM0ePSlE3YMlULDuqpCyg6YQua8WmObiNn9N0RPPUD2hEtx-eg0tPhxklWaBYA5C6zRP7SFQWKam8aFAgta_BRdQyT7sv4uYfjeASsqRALbEoriJXCspzkjOQmpybT2qYJlakRMrWSZk7ZZaqUS9JKq7Ry-V6SlTSTzL0-gUb1UZlTQMaSVBnWSRn3DGJGKe1pemjpzhuSs6QNSa2nQkfucD_C4r1Ysx571Ra-X8yrtuBtuF998rkkzvhL-KFWfhF9aP679Nm_pK9htzceDopBf_R2DnvUWz_colxAYzH7MpcuqVioq7CIvgHkt8Ip
linkToPdf http://utb.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwlV3JTsMwELWgSIgL0AKirD5wYJFFvNRxjmWpWpaKA5V6i2zHPqFQteH_sV2nVSVA4hZFkxxmsceeeW8AuOC2oLLDNMIqdQcUzTUSQiqEZZZYLtLUJB6c_Drk_RF7GnfGcc7prO52r0uSc0yDZ2kqq9tJYW-XwDeMfdck5sjzeSG-DjaY50lwDj0i3cVS7Nw3LMU4RDVdlDV_-sXqxrRaFQ2bTW8XbMcsEXbnZm2CNVO2wE49gQHGgGyBZnyawcvIH321B-4GAfkI56N0YOGpceNUKzgNYHKXZUJ_AQsDXbU3EwzkljUQqdwHo97j-30fxVEJSBMhKmQKK7CVwrIMZwxnJiMm1drShEhqhKRWktQpvqBKuYStsEorl_slaUFSydzrA9AoP0tzCKCxmCrDOpRxzyZmlNKesocU7uwhOUvaIKn1lOvII-7HWXzkSwZkr9rc94551ea8Da4Xn0zmJBp_Cd_Uys9jPM1-lz76l_Q52Hx76OUvg-HzMdgi3vjhQuUENKrplzl1-UWlzoIPfQNp2sZl
openUrl ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fsummon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Impact+factor+distribution+revisited+with+graphical+representation&rft.jtitle=Scientometrics&rft.au=Hsu%2C+Jiann-wien&rft.au=Huang%2C+Ding-wei&rft.date=2016-06-01&rft.pub=Springer+Netherlands&rft.issn=0138-9130&rft.eissn=1588-2861&rft.volume=107&rft.issue=3&rft.spage=1321&rft.epage=1329&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007%2Fs11192-016-1921-6&rft.externalDocID=10_1007_s11192_016_1921_6
thumbnail_l http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/lc.gif&issn=0138-9130&client=summon
thumbnail_m http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/mc.gif&issn=0138-9130&client=summon
thumbnail_s http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/sc.gif&issn=0138-9130&client=summon