A scholarly journal faced a decline in its citation metrics, particularly in review articles, which led to concerns about its overall visibility and impact in the scientific community.
GOALS
The primary objectives were to identify the root causes behind this citation drop, benchmark performance against competitors, and implement strategies to increase citation rates and regain the journal’s standing.
APPROACH
The project began with an in-depth analysis of the journal’s performance relative to its competitors and a gap analysis to identify strategic areas for improvement. This process included examining publication trends, geographic representation, and thematic focus areas that impact citation rates.
RESULTS
High-Potential Citation Areas
The journal was found to lack focus on specific research areas with high citation potential, which contributed to a decline in citation acquisition.
Geographic and Institutional Representation Gaps
Limited representation in high-potential regions like the U.S. and China was observed to reduce the journal’s global impact.
Impact of Special Issues on Citations
Articles published in special issues were found to attract more citations, indicating that special issues contribute positively to citation performance.
Decline in International Collaborations
A recent decline in international collaborations was identified, negatively impacting citation rates.
This analysis enabled the publisher to develop a strategy to target specific content, features, and geographic areas to help them attract more citations.
A number of trends are causing a decline in the impact factors for scholarly journals in the West. A detailed performance analysis is the best way to understand the contributing factors. Maverick offers a global network of professionals with the depth and breadth of experience to identify and rectify potential vulnerabilities.