what is a good impact factor for a journal

The impact factor is a measure of the importance of a journal, calculated by the number of times selected articles are cited within the last few years. A good impact factor is one that is sufficient to connote prestige while still being a good forum for your research to be read and cited. However, it is important to note that the impact factor is used to compare journals from the same fields, and there is no set impact factor number considered to be ideal since each field has a different measurement. In most fields, an impact factor of 10 or greater is considered an excellent score, while 3 is flagged as good, and the average score is less than 1. However, it is important to keep in mind that the impact factor should not be the only consideration when judging quality, and not all journals are tracked in the JCR database and, as a result, do not have impact factors. Additionally, the impact factor was mainly created for librarians to help them spend their budget on the most-read journals, not the most important journals. Finally, it is worth noting that what is considered a good impact factor varies by field, and it is best to consult with colleagues or mentors in your field to determine what is considered a good impact factor for your research.