2024 Journal Impact Factors Released
We are pleased to announce that 298 MDPI journals are included in the latest edition of Clarivate's Journal Citation Reports (JCR). Of these ranked journals, 193 journals are placed in the top 50% (first or second quartile) of their respective categories, based on citation performance. The Journal Impact Factor (JIF) remains an important metric that reflects recent citation activity across a journal’s content.
We are proud to highlight that 61 MDPI journals have maintained a top-quartile position within their respective categories in this year's Journal Citation Reports. Fourteen journals have achieved a JIF of 5.0 or higher, showcasing their continued influence and prestige in their fields.
To explore the latest metrics for any MDPI journal, please go to the Web of Science overview page, or visit the journals' statistics pages for more details.
60 MDPI Journals Receive Their First Journal Impact Factor
This year, 60 MDPI journals received a Journal Impact Factor for the first time, spanning a wide range of emerging and fast-growing research areas. These new entries highlight the momentum of open access publishing and MDPI's ongoing efforts to broaden access to quality research.
This achievement reflects a broader trend: MDPI's growing presence in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). When ESCI launched in 2016, 24 MDPI journals were included. By 2024, that number had grown to over 200—an indication of both our expanding journal portfolio and the increasing recognition of open access titles in major citation tracking systems.
The Open Access Journey, Tracked Through Citation Indexes
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Journal Citation Reports, offering an opportunity to look back on MDPI’s long-standing role in this established citation source. Molecules, IJMS, Sensors, and Marine Drugs have each been indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) for over 20 years. As some of our earliest indexed journals, they continue to serve as leading publication venues in their fields.
At the same time, the share of open access content in Web of Science has grown dramatically. What was once a small portion is now a major part of the scholarly record. As more MDPI journals have been indexed over the past two decades, we have contributed to this broader shift—supporting research that is more visible, reusable, and widely cited.
How Are Journal Impact Factors Calculated?
A Journal Impact Factor represents the average number of citations received in a given year by articles published in a journal during the previous two years.
To determine the 2024 JIF, Clarivate counted all citations made in 2024 to a journal's 2022 and 2023 research articles and reviews, and divided that by the number of those articles. The result reflects the journal's average citation impact, not the impact of individual articles.
Note: As an average, the JIF can be influenced by outlier articles, and should not be used to assess the quality of any single publication.
Journal Citation Indicator – A Field-Normalized Metric
The Journal Citation Indicator (JCI) offers a complementary perspective to the JIF by enabling cross-disciplinary comparisons.
Unlike the JIF, the JCI adjusts for disciplinary citation norms and is based on a three-year publication window. Each article's citation performance is compared to similar articles in the same field and year, resulting in a normalized score. A JCI of 1.0 means a journal's articles perform at the global average in their subject category. Values above or below 1.0 indicate higher or lower relative impact, respectively.
JIF vs. JCI – Key Differences
|
Journal Impact Factor (JIF) |
Journal Citation Indicator (JCI) |
|
Category-dependent |
Category-independent |
|
Unadjusted (subject to citation inflation) |
Field-normalized (average ≈ 1.0) |
|
Based on a 2-year citation window |
Based on a 3-year citation window |
|
Sensitive to citation outliers |
Less sensitive due to field-normalized averaging |
Open Access with Impact
Our journals have received a total of 18.4 million citations in the Web of Science by the end of 2024, reflecting the growing reach and engagement of research published with MDPI. We are committed to making scientific research freely accessible to everyone, everywhere. With the support of more than 4.2 million contributing authors, we're proud to support the global shift toward open access.
Thank You to the MDPI Scholarly Community
A big thank you goes out to our Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board Members, reviewers, and authors for their continued dedication to the success of our journals. Your hard work, thoughtful feedback, and commitment to high-quality research play a huge role in the achievements reflected in this year's Journal Impact Factors. We truly appreciate your efforts in helping to publish impactful open access research.