Social Networks and Traditional Metrics of Impact in Pulmonary Medicine Journals: A Correlation Study

Introduction: The Scimago Journal Rank (SJR) impact factor is extensively used. However, as the Internet has become widely available, new metrics are coming into play. Our research aims to determine whether a correlation between the SJR impact factor and metrics reflecting social media activity does exist. Materials and methods: We have used pulmonary medicine journals indexed in the SJR. Variables of social network usage have been extracted from verified accounts. Bivariate analyses have been performed with the Mann-Whitney U tests, the correlation between social media-derived variables and the SJR impact factor have been assessed with the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results are presented before and after adjustment for the years since the creation of the accounts. Results: From 130 journals, 38 had at least one social network account, Twitter being the most commonly used (22.85%). The H index was higher in journals with social network accounts (Median 60 vs. 17; p < 0.01). The global correlation between the SJR and the number of followers on Twitter revealed moderate agreement (r = 0.46; p < 0.01), which was excellent in open access journals (rs = 0.90; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The use of social networks is directly correlated with traditional indicators of scientific impact. The joint use of alternative and traditional metrics may be useful for journals in order to generate strategies aiming to increase their audience, as well as for researchers when deciding about the best option of disseminating their articles.