In late summer, the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (TJACSM) received its first ever impact factor score of 0.9, indicating a higher credibility pathway in the scientific, technical, and medical publishing world. Clarivate Analytics released their journal impact factors (JIFs), along with ratings for five of the six ACSM journals, including ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® at 1.5, Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews at 1.8, and Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® at 4.1.
Impact factors are one measure of the number of times an average paper in a journal is cited during a specified period and can provide important data about a journal’s impact and relevance among its readers. Clarivate Analytics releases the JIFs annually as part of the Web of Science Journal Citation Reports for journals listed in the Science Citation Index Expanded, the Social Sciences Citation Index, and starting this year, the Emerging Sources Citation Index. The higher the number of citations compared to articles published, the higher the impact factor and rank. Clarivate’s official ranking of TJACSM, along with its continued JIF score, will be included in next year’s Science Journal Citation Report.
This milestone represents a big step for TJACSM as it continues to grow and develop as a top scientific journal.
Stephanie Custer, TJACSM’s managing editor, states, “Although we recognize that JIFs are not the only way to determine a journal’s impact, they are still given great value by the academic community, and the TJACSM editorial team and the ACSM Editorial Services Office are excited for the journal to receive its first JIF! This represents an important rite of passage for TJACSM. It also provides us with a good metric for determining the journal’s growth and development moving forward.”
TJACSM uses a continuous publication approach and focuses on publishing original research, clinical trials, systematic review articles, and meta-analysis and policy research that discuss the translational implications of basic, clinical, and policy science to everyday, real-world practice. Specifically, studies that apply basic and clinical research findings to move discovery and knowledge into clinical practice and community settings are welcome.
The editors welcome submissions of new research in translational/implementation studies of exercise relevant to sports medicine, exercise physiology and health behavior change. To learn more about the types of papers sought and to submit your work, visit TJACSM’s submission site or ACSM’s translational journal webpage.