Considerations on the Impact Factor as a Tool in Scientific Assessment

This exploratory study aims to wide the debate over the impact factor and its application as a tool in the assessment of science. The analysis of scientific activity has been the subject of much debate, especially in the last decade. The impact factor and the citation frequency have been regularly used in the individual analysis of researchers as well verify the performance of journals, investigators, research centers, graduate programs, institutions and countries. The impact factor of a journal can be highly influenced by few of its articles that are very frequently cited. Some researchers are more concerned about publishing in high impact journals than about doing science itself. The manner how the scientific research output is assessed by funding agencies, academic institutions, among others, has been the subject of much debate and the current great question is whether the impact factor (IF) is the best indicator to assess the scientific quality or an already obsolete measure. There is one movement of researchers against the impact factor to be used as a qualitative measure of research articles or even as an indicator of the contribution of a scientist for possible hiring, promotion or decision for grant. Then, there is a need of academic community deeply reflect on this important issue