What is Field Weighted Citation Impact?
Field Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) is a measure used in bibliometrics to assess the citation performance of a journal or a research article relative to the field it belongs to. It provides a more nuanced understanding of a journal’s or article’s impact by adjusting the citation impact based on the citation behavior of the field within which it operates. This metric is particularly useful for evaluating the performance of journals or articles that may not be highly cited in absolute terms but are performing exceptionally well within their respective fields.
In simple terms, FWCI compares the number of citations an article or journal receives to the average number of citations expected based on the citation rates of similar articles or journals in the same field. This comparison allows researchers, librarians, and administrators to make more informed decisions about the significance and quality of research published in a particular journal or by a specific author.
The concept of FWCI is rooted in the idea that different fields have varying citation rates, and therefore, a journal or article’s impact should be evaluated within the context of its field. For instance, a journal in the field of high-energy physics may have a higher FWCI than a journal in the field of environmental science, even if the latter has a higher number of citations in absolute terms. This is because high-energy physics is a highly competitive field with a higher average citation rate, making the achievement of a higher FWCI more significant.
Several methods exist for calculating FWCI, but the most commonly used approach involves the following steps:
1. Calculate the citation impact of the journal or article under consideration.
2. Determine the average citation impact of all articles or journals in the same field.
3. Divide the citation impact of the journal or article by the average citation impact and multiply by 100 to obtain the FWCI.
A FWCI value above 1 indicates that the journal or article is performing better than the average in its field, while a value below 1 suggests that it is underperforming. By using FWCI, researchers and institutions can identify high-impact journals and articles that may not be as visible through traditional citation metrics like the Journal Impact Factor (JIF).
In conclusion, Field Weighted Citation Impact is an essential metric for evaluating the performance of journals and articles in the context of their respective fields. By providing a more accurate reflection of a journal’s or article’s impact, FWCI helps researchers and institutions make better-informed decisions about the significance and quality of their research output.
