The Impact Factor of Circulation Research Reaches a New High

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As most readers know by now, the 2016 Impact Factor of Circulation Research has risen to 13.965—a new high for the journal and a significant increase versus the 2015 value of 11.551. The rise in the Impact Factor is noteworthy because it has occurred despite increasing competition caused by the growing number of cardiovascular journals and despite the fact that Circulation Research is a specialty, not a multidisciplinary, journal. Since the inception of our editorship, the Impact Factor has risen by ≈50% (Figure).

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Figure.

Circulation Research Impact Factor.

As I mentioned previously,¹ the Impact Factor has its flaws—but so does every other citation metric proposed or used heretofore. No better alternative has emerged yet. The reason I consider the Impact Factor important is that it is a major determinant of the quality of the content of a journal. Regardless of what one thinks about the value of this metric, the reality is that the Impact Factor is the single most important consideration that the majority of authors use to select the journal to which they submit their best work. Consequently, a higher Impact Factor is likely to result in an increase in the quality of submitted papers and, therefore, in the content of the journal.

The editors and I are pleased with the continued success of Circulation Research and look forward to further growth in the future. We wish to thank the authors who have entrusted their work to our journal (indeed, they are the primary reason for the increase in Impact Factor), the anonymous reviewers who have selflessly devoted countless hours to ensure that we publish the most relevant and rigorous content, the Associate Editors and Consulting Editors who have worked hard to select the very best papers for publication, the superlative editorial office staff who ensures exemplary efficiency and reliability in our editorial operations, and the readers who have supported the growth of the journal with their continued interest.

Circulation Research is on a clear upward trajectory. As we look ahead, we are excited to have the opportunity to work with the cardiovascular community to provide the most relevant, rigorous, and impactful content to our readers.

• © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.