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The "omnipotent" Science Citation Index Impact Factor

George D Lundberg
Med J Aust 2003; 178 (6): 253-254.

The IF is a poor measure of the worth of journals, journal articles and authors

Tell me the number; what is the ranking? All of us seem to love ratings. Whether it is the standings in the Rugby World Cup, the box office success of Harry Potter or the melting rate of Arctic ice, we all want numbers. So, why would it be any different for medical journal articles or even medical journals themselves?

George D Lundberg, MD, Editor
Medscape General Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Walter G, Bloch S, Hunt G, Fisher K. Counting on citations: a flawed way to measure quality. Med J Aust 2003; 178: 280-281.<eMJA full text>
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